I stand on a bridge on a frozen river near which runs a path into the forest and at the end of that path I see a light… or maybe darkness. One might say that the two are completely in contradiction and my vision seems senseless. But, here it becomes hard not to notice that shadows cannot exist without light and light must always be accompanied by shadows. In truth, they form definitions of each other explaining light and darkness in a rather distinct manner.
Happiness, to me, is like light. It seems that to fully enjoy happiness one must also be familiar with pain, anguish and sorrow. To put it in form of an idea suggested in Orhan Pamuk’s book called Snow, the same streets where a child makes his first friends, plays his first games and enjoys the incomparable joys of the innocent life are also infested by his greatest fears… like the stray dog that barks at him when he takes his first step in the streets where his happiness resides.
So, even though I am happy, I cannot claim that I have not known sorrow or that I don’t currently feel it in my everyday life. But, to give this sadness a voice and importance means that I would be denouncing the pure happiness that comes with it.
I am happy and my happiness is laced with gentle shades of darkness which only enhance it and add colour and taste to life.
So, tell me… are you happy?
