Been in a poetic mood lately and thinking about some things I love. So for Thanksgiving, here are a few funny things and a few genuine things in life that I am thankful for because they bring me joy.

What is happiness?

Happiness is

The pungent smell of the barn overwhelming my senses on a Saturday morning

Hot, gooey, sweet cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning

Waves breaking across the river in the darkest part of the night

Happiness is

23 voices raised in a cappella praise in a rickety bus

Having a child wrap their arms around your neck

4 am conversations with the one person who understands you at your deepest level

Happiness is

Breathing in the sweet smell of horse breath

The bitterness of Costa Rican coffee

The warm touch of someone’s lips on your forehead

Happiness is

Abdominal shaking, rolling on the floor, out of breath laughter

Heart pounding and legs shaking after a run

Slobbery dog kisses and paws climbing up you

It is shooting stars, fireflies, fireworks, and the hot sun

It is melty s'mores, midnight swims, the adrenaline rush of flipping out of a tube

It is long slow kiss, his thumb rubbing the back of your hand, hair being brushed behind your ears

It is snowflakes dusting your eyelashes, hot chocolate, classes being canceled

Happiness is

The vibrant red of autumn leaves, the world being lit on fire

The first buds of spring

Looking back at the changes in your life like the change of the seasons

Happiness is

Drowning out the troubles of the world with music blasting in your ears

Taking off your bra at the end of a long day

Dissolving into a pile of pillows

Happiness is

Loud, rambunctious family gatherings

Watching those you care about succeed

Sitting in comfortable silence with someone just to be together

It is being told you can’t and then doing it anyways

It is fighting for what is right and seeing results

It is respecting others and earning the respect of others

It is overcoming, persevering, rising up

Happiness is

The satisfaction gained through highlighting and color coding all of your notes

Walking out of a test knowing that you did well and that it’s over

Realizing that the homework isn’t due tomorrow

Happiness is

Coming home to your mother’s smile, your sisters’ laughs, your father’s jokes

Smooth, soft cat fur and the motor of his purr

Sitting by the fireplace breathing in the smell of wood

Happiness is

Long text messages that make you cry

Handwritten cursive letters

Knowing that someone took the time to think of you

It is a thousand ripples after you skipped the perfect rock

It is the musty, almond-like smell of old books

It is racing head first down a hill, feet off the pedals, flying

It is a city full of lights down below and clouds next to you as you travel

Happiness is

Looking up in at the paint on your ceiling talking to God

The fluff and soft peeps of baby chicks

The weathered hands of an old man as he teaches you to fish

Happiness is

Cool droplets and bubbling suds all over when you really should just be washing the car

Seeing the familiar face of a distant friend

Baggy, oversized sweatshirts

Happiness is

The times we wished time would stop

The images we capture in our mind

To draw from and lean on when all seems lost