You’re Happy, I’m Happy

by Kena Paranjape on January 15, 2009

Note: the photo will make sense at the end of the post - I promise!

Almost every day at the subway station on my way to work, I see a woman on a motorized scooter saying goodbye to her son as he goes off to school. Sometimes they kiss each other over the carousel or she hands him lunch money, but they always say, I love you. Now this kid is certainly old enough to walk to the subway on his own, and it can't be easy for his mother to navigate there and back on her scooter through the snow, but that is their routine. It may not "make sense" or be the most practical way of doing things, but from what I can tell, it brings them both a lot of pleasure. Isn't it funny how doing something to make someone else happy has the same effect on you?

My analogous tale? I landed great seats to a Raptor's game through work, and even though I don't follow basketball at all and even briefly considered giving them to a colleague, I chose to go with my husband rather than pass on the tickets for him to share with a friend. I could have said, that's not my thing, you go, but I wanted to share something I know he enjoys with him. We had a great time together AND I got this great photo of the Raptors mascot doing a head stand on a railing just two rows away from us. He was happy and so was I.

Other examples of this phenomenon? My sister going to the garden center (her worst nightmare) with my mom just to keep her company. Or all the parents who sit through kiddie concerts because of the happiness it brings to their children. When was the last time you did something for someone because it brought them (and secretly you) happiness?

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