Those Little Things

You could have anything you want in this world, still, by the end of the day it's always those little things that makes you truly happy.

We crave for material things just because we want them, we got to have them, even though we don't really need them. We may feel satisfied at first, but sooner or later we will crave for something else; we will crave for more. A human's lust for craving something or even someone may perhaps be his weakness.

Family outing at La Traviesa Resort, Laguna.
(February 3-14, 2010)

What makes you happy?
Sometimes, we get preoccupied with the big things in our lives that we forget those little things that made us smile. Like, when I fell off the stairs and into the mud while running away from my friends, because they were teasing me about my crush, or, that moment at my first year of high school when I finally let this guy hold my hand, or, vividly remembering watching my mom and my dad doing their afternoon ballroom routine through the open doors of our house as I sat by the terrace under the setting sun. As the cliche goes, nobody is perfect, but I must say, we get to make our perfect memories still.

Compared to the life I used to have back in the Philippines, I can say I am living a blissful life. However, a spacious home, high tech gadgets and fridge full of tempting food hasn't kept me from being lonely. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to where I am and of what I have, but sometimes your heart stays where it wants to stay.

A few weeks ago, I got an overwhelming joy by doing something that I don't usually do - talk to my friends back home. I got bored and decided to message everyone I knew on Facebook; from my gaming comrades to my childhood buddies. I'm glad I did. I don't usually talk to my old friends not because I don't find them interesting anymore, but because I don't really see how getting attached to them will benefit me since we are oceans apart. But it felt good, it really did. Catching up with the people who I used to share my boxed juice with at middle school and the people who used to keep me awake till the sun rises at dawn, reminded me that though I am alone to where I am living now, oceans apart - I was never alone after all.

A 3-year old me with my dad at a
school recognition day.

Tonight, I talked to my dad, who I haven't spoken to since last summer. We had a chat and did a lot of catching up; though the conversation didn't lasted that long, it was something that filled the absence. As a child, I used to be scared of him. Who wouldn't be? He was a typical dad to his only daughter, over-protective, strict, and barely talked. I guess it's because I am at the stage of my life now where I am taking the path as a young adult that I felt no fear of him anymore, but respect. I was happy.

For me, fine dining and extravagant parties wouldn't compare to the home-cooked,  messy, crowded little table I once shared with the people closest to me. The spacious and cozy house, wouldn't make a stand to the crammed and steamed apartment house I also once called home.

We don't have to go extra mile or pay extra bucks to find happiness. Sometimes we just have to remember what makes us feel fulfilled. How about you, what makes you happy?