My life has not been long, I still have a lot of time to learn about this world and myself. Emotions and happiness are not easy concepts to understand, however over my small time alive, I now know more about happiness.

When I was younger I believed that happiness was grand gestures and 'sweep-me-off-my-feet' moments. I believed that to achieve happiness, even in the smallest manner, it had to be an event. Something that would stick with me for the rest of my life, moments that would be burned into my memory forever, stories I would tell my grandchildren.

There weren’t many moments like that, not because my childhood wasn’t good - it was great actually, but because that idea is completely fabricated. Those moments are rare and should be savored, but they alone do not create happiness.

My happiness has come from the small moments in my life. The things that seem insignificant in the moment, experiences that seem mundane to many other people. I had to stop expecting those grand moments to understand that my happiness could come from feeling a warm breeze through my hair.

While these moments aren’t something I would tell my grandchildren, they are feelings I hope they feel one day. I hope my kids, my friends, and my family can feel wonder when they see a snowfall at night, when the church bells ring, and when the snow sparkles as it drifts down. I hope that they see a rainbow and suddenly feel lighter. Feel the crunch of leaves underneath them and have a burst of pure energy from it.

Happiness is a collection of little moments, a file that is not as fabulous as standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, but a file of feelings that can make a person

smile. Don’t discount those tiny, minuscule moments that make you smile. They're worthwhile, and they pile up to create something amazing.