Chowrangi

“What will make you happy?” I asked him.

“Lots of things. However, getting a hot new car will definitely make me happiest”, he replied.

I know many people who had hot new cars yet they are not happy. I asked a young petite woman the same question and she replied:

“A good husband, healthy children and a nice comfortable home”.

I know lots of women who have good caring husbands, healthy children and a nice comfortable house to live in, yet they are not happy. Often in their eyes, I see frustration or tired look. They pretend to be happy by busying themselves in household chores or various activities, telling themselves that they will be truly happy when their children acquire good education or when their kids get married or something equally like that.

I know many people of my generation are not happy simply because they don’t have the latest model of cell phone or their GPA is not good enough or they don’t have the ‘right’ friends or they don’t like the job because pay is not that high.

Seldom have I seen a truly happy face. I often ask this question why we are not happy. Why we most of the times concentrate on our miseries?

My grandmother used to say that in this materialistic world, we confuse happiness with the quest of getting better, bigger and more materialistic things. Desire for bigger and better has nothing to do with our happiness because happiness is something spiritual. Happiness comes from within, regardless of how rich or poor we are.

You know what, I think she is right.

Other posts by Lubna Shahid

• Spitting Red - September 9th, 2007
• This Is What Islam Is - September 4th, 2007
• ChaApa Culture - May 9th, 2007