Such forms of happiness are all-consuming, and can take you outside of yourself for hours (or even days) at a time.
And yet, sometimes, the stronger and more lasting happiness comes from quiet joys, from little illuminating moments that bolster your spirit and keep your daily life afloat and shining.
For example:
Happiness can be as simple as pretending to be a goblin and then laughing so hard you can’t breathe with a magnificent new friend.
Happiness can be as quietly revitalising as treating your mother to a belated Mother’s Day afternoon tea and simultaneously discovering that Urban Pantry, the cafe which gave you a warm honey tart with salted peanut butter ice cream, also offers the Urban Affogato…
…which involves caramel gelati, violet crumble shards, a shot of espresso, and a secret extra drizzling of honey not mentioned on the menu.
Happiness is not noticing the whirl of time passing as you talk animatedly with your mother, covering dreams for the future, sorrows and smiles from the present, and memories of the past.
And happiness is trading bites of your coffee-caramel-honeycomb bittersweetness with her gluten-free lemon and polenta cake, which is warm, delicious, and heady with the perfume of citrus zest and berries.
Happiness is being wholly present in your own life.
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Happiness is reading this post.
Thank you my darling friend
I love that approach to happiness, and have been coming to embrace the small happiness moments more and more. And it works!
I’m really quite happy overall, much more than before, while I still wait for the “big” happiness things to happen – may they come or may not, I’m having fun right now. 
Thank you Kath! I also think that, even more than happiness, I’m striving for contentment in life, and noticing the small happinesses seems the best way to reach contentment (at least, to me)
mmmm happiness is a choice!
It is very important to find the little joys in life, as the big ones, like Lotto wins don’t come along all that often. I’m very happy that you recommended this place for our recent brunch, the girls all had a lovely time. Even I liked the look of the Urban Affogato, if you didn’t have to pour coffee all over it and wreck it.
I’m so very glad you had a good time at Urban Pantry! I would’ve been devastated had my blog/personal recommendations led to a brunch of calamity!
P.S. Still, a Lotto win would be nice…
Happiness is knowing that I might get to go to urban pantry because it is near to where we are staying – hurrah! It looks like my sort of place and just the place to enjoy the moment with your mum – I am sure it made her very happy too – to share time with you and to see you being happy.
I did recommend Urban Pantry to you, didn’t I? If not, count this as my recommendation!
I think it might be a lovely choice for you, particularly as there’s a green (albeit small) lawn right outside that Sylvia could run around in 
And thank you, Johanna. I hope it was just as lovely for my mum
Now you’ve given me a massive craving for a Crunchie bar!!!
Happiness is also visiting your blog and discovering a new post to read.
Margaret, I heart you!! You have no idea how happy I am that you said you’re craving a Crunchie, not a Violet Crumble
Crunchies win by a million miles, forever! 
Ahhh, happiness indeed! Urban affogatos (affogati?) and chats with mother sounds so wonderful.
Thank you, Sarah
Though I’d happily take some of your happiness-cherries, too…
You have a great philosophy to happiness and I can see you are a very happy person. So uplifting to read your posts, you are infectious and keep smiling! The world needs more people like you.
Oh golly, thank you! This really means so much to me, and I’ll do my best to remember your lovely words the next time the mean reds strike
Yay for happiness. I’ve read a few blog posts about happiness this morning, and that makes me
Oooh, there must have been something in the water then! Yay for spontaneous group happiness!
Happiness is sipping coffee juice at ‘A Bite’ with mahhhh bestie on a Friday arvo.
LOVE the picture of you as a goblin… LOL… Laughing so hard! This world needs a bunch more peeps like you darling girl. Hope your having a wonderful Saturday. Hugs. Xxx
I agree wholeheartedly with your first statement
I also am completely happy to be mocked for my coffee choices if it results in said coffee being paid for by the mocker 
Thank you so very much, my friend
I probably shouldn’t tell you how long J and I spent laughing at our goblin photos… Can’t wait to hear about *your* Saturday!
Haha Mr NQN and I always call each other goblins!
I loved the ones in Harry Potter-what funny little faces! And that affogato! That’s like an affogato times 100!
HARRY POTTER OMG ONE MORE SLEEP!!
Happiness is being lucky enough to know that you are indeed lucky and happy.
For those to not realise that and constantly complain, they are in a complete lost with nature…
Absolutely, I-Hua. Happiness is also having a friend as wise as you.
(And a fried who loves Disney and POPPYCOCK.)
You write the most amazing and refreshing posts
This one in particular rings true – I think it’s hard to be happy when you’re focusing on trying to achieve the ‘big ticket’ items you mentioned.
Your drink and your Mum’s cake look pretty amazing too!
Oh! Kari! Thank you so very, very much; I’m utterly gratified by your comment
Happiness is also having lovely goblin girls present in your life. And you are the loveliest goblin girl I know, and we are all very lucky to have you
Is it odd that being called “the loveliest goblin girl” actually feels like the highest compliment I’ve been paid in a long time?
P.S. 17 hours and we’ll be together! And yeah, yeah, Harry Potter, but mostly wheeee, seeing you!
Amen sister. Love this post
So very glad
Sponge candy is easily one of the best toppings for ice cream, hands down! Everything else you’ve featured is wonderful as well, but now I can’t stop thinking about a candy-covered sundae…
Gosh, it’s funny to hear it called “sponge candy”! That’s not a term we use at all in Australia. However, the phrase “candy-covered sundae” is gloriously universal
Love this! Happiness is definitely fancy desserts, and you know, like rainbows and kittens and stuff.
And dancing leprechauns! Never forget the dancing leprechauns!
You are awesome. Uni is horrible right now, but your happiness posts make everything better.
I’m so honoured to have made things seem better for you, but am very sorry to hear about icky-uni-times! Please know you can email me if you need a sympathetic ear!
How come i can’t +1 this?
I don’t even know what that means! Something to do with Google+?
Yeah the Google equivalent to the embeddable Facebook “Like” buttons. How am i supposed to share my enjoyment of this post in a convenient format?
You are sweet.
But not as sweet as the URBAN AFFOGATO WHICH I NEED IN MY LIFE IMMEDIATELY.
Nope, not as sweet – you’re even sweeter than it. Much as I love your recipes and chocolate review, I also love your introspective mini posts, and you’re exactly right about happiness
Thank you so much, my dear cross-ocean friend
I’m rather grateful and honoured that I’m allowed to get away with posts like these 
P.S. You do need the Urban Affogato in your life. Luckily, it’s super easy to recreate a home! Booyah!
You’re rather graceful when imitating a goblin. Workin’ the angles. Very “Top Model.”
Ahhh, that is the affogato of my dreaaaams! They don’t make ‘em like that in Taiwan. Or Virginia, for that matter. Though maybe I’d like it better if those violet shards were Reese’s…
Oh yeah, I’m totally fierce and smizing as I do the broken-down-doll-goblin. (I blame that sentence on Top Model marathons on my hotel telly in Charleston and Savannah last year.)
Now, while I’m not one to turn down Reese’s in any format, have you ever had a Crunchie bar? If not, I may just have to send a package your way soon
“Happiness is being wholly present in your own life.”
I love it! So true .
I’m so glad that speaks to you
Oh my goodness, you are SO spot on – happiness is being wholly present in your own life. Yes. What a beautiful post. I loved how you described your conversation with your mum
Heidi xo
Thank you Heidi. Happiness is also kind comments from friends who help build your sense of faith in your own writing and words
(Although that sentence was too convoluted for me to be proud of
)
That affogato looks amazing and makes me want a crunchie bar right now!
I am so very, very glad you said Crunchie and not Violet Crumble.
It was a special Mother’s Day … great company and lovely food on a cold Canberra evening. There are some good reasons for becoming a mother and this is certainly one of them. Thanks WayChoc!! x0
It proved a pretty good reason to become a daughter, too
Love you mum!
Just as well, you had no choice! xo
“Happiness is being wholly present in your own life.”
Ain’t that the truth.
Thank you, Christine
Seeing how Top Model goblin-play can be, I definitely should have gone dressed as Griphook! Why didn’t I:(
I did want to make pointy tin foil ears.
Can I tell you a secret, Emma? YOU TOTALLY STILL CAN MAKE POINTY TIN FOIL EARS.
I expect to see these on your blog soon.
M says that you always seem to be wearing slippers (after commenting on your love of silly photos – which would make you fit right in here). I asked him if it was a bad thing. It’s not. It is a sensible thing.
That is all.
Okay, first and foremost: Hi M! I’m rather excited to have The Communications with him at last
Sensible is, unfortunately, the only word for it, as these are the ugg boots I was ordered to buy and wear by my doctor after the 18-month-long saga of the Toe Of Doom. Which is looking to be vaguely Doomful for the rest of my life. :S
Hehehe! He’s been reading over my shoulder for weeks (months?) now (or listening to me exclaim “Hannah this” and “Hannah that”!!). He’s a fan
Not just sensible…WARM. That is very important. I wear ugg boots all the time. Well, all the time I am at home because it is so bloody cold…-4 on the ride to work this morning apparently.
I feel like I’ve just been wrapped in a big super-warm-fluffy-golden-sparkly blanket of smiles
-4? UGH. I think the worst I’ve had to walk to work in has been 0. Oh, how my ears/head ached by the end!
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