Happiness is…

Ms Firefly is having a contest in celebration of her birthday last February 14. The contest rules are easy and you can check the details here.

Anyway, here goes mine. Happiness is…

1. Kayaking in El Nido, Palawan’s lagoons. Sweet, sweet serenity…
2. Helping unfortunate people even in little ways.
3. Having a good read now and then.
4. Being able to travel, whether just inside Philippines or other countries.
5. Learning new things from time to time to get my brain cells working.
6. My favorite foods: kare-kare, monggo and pansit
7. Being drenched in sweat after a good workout.
8. Dancing like nobody’s watching.
9. Singing ‘til my tonsils croak.
10. Seeing dolphins frolic in the wild.
11. Sweet hugs and kisses.
12. Watching our pets or any animals play.
13. Seeing and knowing that my family especially my parents are well and healthy.
14. Helping to build houses for the homeless thru the Gawad Kalinga program.
15. Finding blogs like that of Dr. Maithri that embodies positivity and triumphs over adversity and suffering, that not only foster awareness and involvement in helping alleviate poverty and suffering but also reminds me that there is more in other people’s worlds than in my world.
16. Learning more and being proud of my color, my heritage and my country.
17. Having good conversation with somebody it feels like a warm blanket enveloping my whole being.
18. Early morning and sunrise because it’s so quiet and beautiful and it always remind me that there’s always a new day no matter what happens.
19. Sunset by the beach, seeing how the combined colors of the sun, sky and the sea bathe the earth with incredible colors that remind me that there is God, that everything has their own endings and beginnings.
20. Mountain climbing and hiking because being one with nature is good for the soul and there is something about the activity that peaces out my inner turmoils.
21. Being by the beach.
22. Taking good photographs and sharing them with anybody.
23. Browsing through my old pictures and reminiscing the good old times.
24. Watching a good movie.
25. Finding a really good buy.
26. Receiving nice even sweet surprises from the snail mail.
27. Having a good laugh.
28. Smiles even laughter in the middle of adversity, pain, poverty and suffering.
29. Eating deep fried peanuts loaded with deep fried garlic downed with ice-cold coke.
30. Eating halo-halo on a hot, hot day.

For Little Ms. Firefly, belated happy birthday! May you always be blessed and may you have enough of everything.