Being Happy

Soldier’s Return

Lane County Area Soldiers Reunite With Families
After a 400 day deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Oregon Army National Guard, 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, returns home. This photo by Sgt. Eric Rutherford captures the happiness of one young family. If you’ve ever been deployed, or if you’ve ever served by being that family member waiting for your loved one to come home, you don’t need any explanation of what that homecoming feels like.

Thrill of Victory

Grand Blue Mile
In this photo, Heather Kampf has just won the Women’s 1 Mile Road Championship at the Grand Blue Mile in downtown Des Moines – and it isn’t just a race. This annual event was created for the purpose of encouraging healthy habits and empowering positive change. It offers both competitive and recreational divisions so that there is something suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Participants have ranged in age from 1 to 81. One of the most common definitions of happiness is “well-being”, and the Grand Blue Mile certainly steps up to the plate in offering this unique opportunity to come together and celebrate wellness.

Talents and Gifts

Being Happy is in giving. And in receiving.
Having a special talent is a joy in itself. For a musician there is the rewarding thrill of performing for others, as well as the endless hours of pleasure derived from simply playing in solitude. Then there is the happiness that comes from sharing the gift through teaching others, and in seeing the happiness of those receiving this precious gift.

True Love

Sweethearts
What a beautiful world it would be if we were all so blessed as to know a love that lasts a lifetime. This photo was taken during the filming of a television commercial, but the two love birds are a real married couple. Either they are magnificent actors, or the love they share is unaffected by age or time. (Let’s choose to believe that the latter is true!)

Most Amazing Hike Ever

Crow Peak summit. Chugach Mountains, Alaska
Sometimes our most rewarding experiences occur when we’re communing with nature, from oceans to jungles to prairies to mountaintops. To fully appreciate all the emotion behind this camera shot, here is what Mr. Woelber wrote about it: “Even though it was still really early in the year, enough snow had melted off that we were able to scramble up to the top of Crow Peak. After taking a few photos and eating lunch, we slid down a big snowfield on the other side of the peak, walked around a glacier, and then slid another few hundred feet down to the Crow Pass trail in a valley far below. This was without a doubt one of the most amazing days of hiking I’ve ever had.”

Double Blessings

* About this photo

Born Together, Friends Forever
Lots of siblings can have very close relationships, but twins have a special bond that can be amazingly strong. They share DNA, and they’ve been together from the very beginning, before they even came into this world. Growing up they always have each other to share every experience – big scary things like the first day of preschool. Imagine going through childhood with a pal that’s always got your back, one who understands you so well you can communicate with a glance. Sure, twins are double the trouble for parents, but they’re also double the happiness – for mom, dad, and each other too!

* About the photo: Life is good® is more than a company. It’s a community. Visit the Life is Good website to learn more about how they give back to the world through solutions, progress, and growth. To quote from their purpose statement: “Optimism is not irrational cheerfulness or “blind” positivity. It’s a pragmatic strategy for approaching life.”

Indulgence

Yes, but decadence can be so delightful.
If you’re one of those amazingly disciplined people who never ever gives in to temptation, congratulations and you can skip this photo. For everyone else, take comfort in knowing you are not alone. If you do Google image search for the word indulgence, you’ll find that the vast majority of the results are pictures of food or of people devouring food. Apparently one of our favorite ways to indulge in a guilty pleasure is to eat something we probably shouldn’t. Granted, it isn’t the way to true lasting happiness, and we’ll likely pay for it later, but oh my, in the moment our taste buds are so gloriously happy that every once in a while, it’s worth it.

Delightfully Dirty

There are photos, and then there are photos.
Why do we pay such prices to professional photographers for shots of our children when they are well-dressed, immaculately groomed and perfectly posed? There is so much more to see when an image simply captures the moment … that look of pure happiness, that ringlet of hair damp with sweat, and that sweet face smudged with a little grime because this kid has been playing hard and having fun, without a care, and joyfully free to be shirtless on a warm summer afternoon.

Making Memories

She got a guitar. Grandpa made a memory.
No, she can’t play a song yet, but it doesn’t matter. She loves listening to grandpa play and sing old tunes from back in his day, and she’s even learned the words to most of the songs. He loves seeing how happy she is when they’re together singing and laughing. He couldn’t resist buying her a guitar of her very own, maybe in the hopes that she’ll someday learn to play. That doesn’t matter either. He’ll always have the memory of those precious times shared with his sweet granddaughter. And some day long after he is gone, she’ll look back on those same memories and feel the kind of deep down happiness that time cannot erase.

You Knew This Was Coming

You don’t have to admit you secretly enjoy this.
“Cute” cat videos are so prolific that the whole genre (if you can call it that) has become a common target of jokes. Hence, it seemed our collection here wouldn’t be complete without a cute kitten pic. You’re probably rolling your eyes, but come on, look at that adorable little face. Really, somewhere deep inside, don’t you feel at least a tiny urge to smile?