Steven used to live with his parents in a small city. His parents were poor and used to struggle all day long to make two ends meet. Steven had three younger sisters and a younger brother. His parent would get up early in the morning and would leave for their work. Steven’s job was to take care of his siblings and to make food for all.
Steven quit school right after finishing his basic education. He was not like other kids in the city. He was always sad and thoughtful as if he was looking for something. Whenever his parents or his loved ones asked him the reason, he always said that there was nothing to be happy about. “He was looking for happiness, “Steven said once when his school teacher asked him the reason. He used to sit alone for hours and had no friends since he always found it difficult to express his feeling to others around him. He loved his parents and his siblings but never told them so.
He stared working with his parents when he was seventeen. Years went by, his parents found a girl for him to get married. Steven could not make up his mind whether to get married to that girl or not but finally got married for his parent’s happiness. His mother asked him once, “Are you not happy Steven? You have got married to a beautiful girl.”
Steven stared at her for a moment and said, “I am waiting for the right moment. I am looking for happiness.”
One year later Steven’s wife gave birth to twins. Everyone was happy except Steven as if he was just rolling with the punches. He did not have interest in anything. He would get up in the morning, go to work and come back after eight in the evening. His kids never saw him smiling. In fact, no one had ever seen him smiling. His wife had got used to his frown face and never complained about it. She would keep herself busy with the kids and household stuff.
Years later when Steven’s kids grew young and got married; his wife was expecting a change in his behavior. However, Steven did not change at all. He was still sad and always had a low face.
Steven grew old. When he was seventy years old, one day his wife found him playing with his grand kids. She could not believe her eyes, as Steven was happy and could not control his happiness. All the members of the family got together and started staring at him, as it was something they had never expected. No one had ever seen him smiling let alone laughing hysterically like this.
His wife found it strange and asked, “What happened? Did you find happiness? All these years we have been waiting for you to smile and today you are laughing like a crazy fellow”
“I am happy,” Steven shouted aloud.
“That’s what I am trying to ask. What makes you happy? ” his wife asked.
“Today I have come to know that there is no secret to happiness. Nothing makes you happy if you do to want to be happy. Life is beautiful. I wasted all these years looking for happiness. I was waiting for a miracle but today I have realized that each day brings along good and bad surprises for all. It depends upon us what we choose,” Steven explained as he had tears in his eyes.
People like Steven keep running after happiness all their lives and forget that the real happiness is in small moments of everyday life. Live life to the fullest as time once gone never comes back. Happiness is a juts a state of mind.
