peanuts

I think much of my philosophy of life is derived from the Peanuts cartoons. There was a real craze for them in my early - formative - years at senior school. I particularly liked the way the characters dealt with disappointment, the laconic style,  the dry humour, the way the world of adults was turned on its head and exposed as something of a fraud.

I also read the Happiness is... books and cartoons, in which the answer was something like 'a warm blanket' or 'a sad song'. They showed me that happiness comes from things you can so easily overlook while misguidedly seeking something greater, more glamorous, more lasting. In fact, the cause of happiness is often peanuts, something apparently small, trifling, and ordinary. Charles Schulz taught me a useful early lesson, one that's stood me in good stead ever since.

So, no matter what else is going on (Simon and I are dealing with very serious illness in both our families at the moment), there can still be moments when it's possible to fill in the blank in the phrase 'happiness is...'.

With 'tulips'. 

Or 'lime-green spring leaves'.

Or 'flowers on the kitchen table'.

Or 'more tulips'.

 

And, perhaps, 'not trying to define happiness'.