Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What makes you truly simply happy?

105 replies

mids2019 · 06/02/2023 23:18

As I get older I think it becomes increasingly hard to feel pure simple unadulterated joy. I removed vaguely times during childhood where I did have feelings of bliss but the past now is remote.

What makes you simply happy? Is it a relationship or a state of mind for example? Is age a barrier to such feelings freelings?

OP posts:
CuriousMama · 07/02/2023 00:42

Nsky62 · 07/02/2023 00:14

CuriousMama………my loving petite tabby,Abby cameras an 18 mth old rescue, found in the snow Dec’10.
i love alone, she was frightened to eat, nervous, didn’t like men or children, took years to get confident ( 6) around men, after some renovations.
lost her at 13, she seemed happy and content in her old age, I loved her velvet coat and gentle purrs, sleeping next to me, and curious as to what I ate for dinner

Thank goodness you found each other 😊
I rescued my darling boi. A lurcher nobody wanted. He was 16 months. I trained him to be sociable with dogs outside. Could never train his hatred/fear of small dcs but I just kept him away. He was so beautiful. Even the dog cremation people commented on his beautiful face. He died last October at 15. I know how you feel. They're so precious 💞

HerRoyalNotness · 07/02/2023 01:00

Watching my DD play out in the street with her neighbourhood friends. My sons didn’t really do that, and she’s full of confidence and has made some nice little friendships.

on a bit bigger scale, we went skiing at Xmas, first time in 10yrs and seeing the utter joy on the DC faces was priceless. My oldest was 5 when he last went and it all came back, he was off on his own skiing and when I’d catch up with him it felt so good to ski a run with him. I’ve not seen him that genuinely happy in a very long time

blisstwins · 07/02/2023 01:02

My dog…there are others things, but this is the most consistent form of relaxation and pleasure.

PicklesAndTequila · 07/02/2023 01:16

Cats, Harry Styles, cheese.

MsRead · 07/02/2023 01:47

This is going to sound so sad and old but the lady who used to own our house put in fruit trees and fabulous raised ( at non bending height) vegetable beds. Having never ever grown a thing ( except cress in an egg shell circa 1988 junior school) before living here. I now make my own plum jam, pickles, marmalades, freeze and store my own garlic, chilli etc etc… just picked the last of the plums, cut them up and will store them in jars and light spiced syrup as a base for crumbles, cakes. Friends give me their unwanted jars and for the cost of star anise and cinnamon it’s amazingly cheap. Plus can make a small gift. Crumble fillings done for an entire year

I grew up in the UK with a postage stamp sized garden, am not part of the knit your own yoghurt brigade but love quietly pottering with my own produce.

My beautiful springer spaniel made me insanely happy, his quiet, calm demeanour except when he saw a bird or reminding me by sitting on my feet that it was his breakfast/ dinner time… asking to go to bed by taking himself outside then patting my knee until I agreed it was bedtime ( in later life I lifted him onto his side of the bed onto his blanket, because his spring had been replaced by arthritis). lost him at 15 in November and am still not over it… which is rather ridiculous.

Irrelevantdata · 07/02/2023 02:03

The journey to PIL's, it's about an hour away and takes us through beautiful forest scenery and a couple of pretty villages. We live in a shitty, run down town so just the change of scene is uplifting but then we arrive at PIL's house, also in a pretty village, and there's often other family there so it always feels like a party.

I love being with PIL and the extended family and there's just something about the house and garden that makes me feel happy, they only moved there 2 years ago after living 200 miles away for 20 years where we rarely saw them so it's still a novelty having them so much closer, maybe the joy will wear off!

Geppili · 07/02/2023 02:11

Cats, David Bowie and cheese.

Whatmarbles · 07/02/2023 02:13

Riding my horse.

Aria999 · 07/02/2023 02:14

Loads of things.

My husband.

My kids when they are being lovely.

A good coffee in the morning and a few uninterrupted moments to drink it.

As pp said the first few sips of white wine.

Hiking in a beautiful place on a lovely day.

My Kung fu class.

Playing on the computer with DH.

Spending time with friends or family (sadly quite rare these days, we are far away).

A tidy house (also quite rare)

Winning a new project (I am freelance)

Solving a difficult spreadsheet problem

Making a challenging birthday cake

Johnisafckface · 07/02/2023 02:40

Honestly I haven’t ever been truly happy except when I was with two of my ex boyfriends. It’s beeen 13 years since I dated the last ex that made me happy. My most recent ex was such a prick, brought me no happiness at all.

outside of that the only thing that makes me happy is when I have the house to myself (when my DD is gone for days) and I can order food and find something good to watch on tv and do nothing ( I always feel I have to be “on” when my dd is here). Those times are bliss. (Altho I’d prefer to be with a partner but that’s not an option these days 😂)

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 07/02/2023 02:52

Geppili · 07/02/2023 02:11

Cats, David Bowie and cheese.

OMG are you me? 😁

SelinaKant · 07/02/2023 02:53

Animals - all animals - birds, insects, seeing fish in a river. Today - a little vole with a flower in its mouth, a snail with a patterned shell, a crow that comes to visit me every morning and night.
Seeing my husband's face makes me happy.
My lovely cat died on Christmas Eve.
I'm not interested in much now.

Smallonesaremorejuicy · 07/02/2023 02:54

MsRead · 07/02/2023 01:47

This is going to sound so sad and old but the lady who used to own our house put in fruit trees and fabulous raised ( at non bending height) vegetable beds. Having never ever grown a thing ( except cress in an egg shell circa 1988 junior school) before living here. I now make my own plum jam, pickles, marmalades, freeze and store my own garlic, chilli etc etc… just picked the last of the plums, cut them up and will store them in jars and light spiced syrup as a base for crumbles, cakes. Friends give me their unwanted jars and for the cost of star anise and cinnamon it’s amazingly cheap. Plus can make a small gift. Crumble fillings done for an entire year

I grew up in the UK with a postage stamp sized garden, am not part of the knit your own yoghurt brigade but love quietly pottering with my own produce.

My beautiful springer spaniel made me insanely happy, his quiet, calm demeanour except when he saw a bird or reminding me by sitting on my feet that it was his breakfast/ dinner time… asking to go to bed by taking himself outside then patting my knee until I agreed it was bedtime ( in later life I lifted him onto his side of the bed onto his blanket, because his spring had been replaced by arthritis). lost him at 15 in November and am still not over it… which is rather ridiculous.

Oh not ridiculous at all 💐

Geppili · 07/02/2023 02:55

@alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 Probably! 🤣
But if you aren't, David Bowie is mine. And hands off my Brie.

Geppili · 07/02/2023 03:00

@alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 one of my beloved Catpeople.

What makes you truly simply happy?
TheFretfulPorpentine · 07/02/2023 03:46

Landing at an airport in a country I've never visited before.

Tamarindtree · 07/02/2023 04:02

My husband, dogs, the countryside, cheese.

Frenchfancy · 07/02/2023 05:38

A walk in the woods.

A game of tennis

A cold glass of wine in the garden with the sun on my face.

A big long meal with my family

Reading a book by the fire

Getting in to a bed with clean sheets

Cuddling up to DH after great sex.

Ladybug14 · 07/02/2023 05:45

mids2019 · 06/02/2023 23:27

@Ragwort

I used to and still do to some extent feel as you. I do though find it quite hard to escape worry even on my own . I wonder if happiness needs some form of escapism?

Or being mindful, living totally in the present (really difficult ime)

Ladybug14 · 07/02/2023 05:47

@MsRead - what a beautiful post. And not at all ridiculous. Sending you love ❤️

Desiredeffect · 07/02/2023 05:48

Just simply a day off where I can focus on myself and no work

Mollyplop999 · 07/02/2023 06:00

My ponies, cats, dog and family.
The birds and nature.

BlueKaftan · 07/02/2023 06:01

Cuddling with my cat while she purrs us to sleep

Mint tea

DH anytime

TrianglePlayer · 07/02/2023 06:03

My dogs. My children sometimes too and even DH but my dogs make me happy almost without fail. They bring so much unconditional love.

Fedupofdiets · 07/02/2023 06:06

Ragwort · 06/02/2023 23:24

I believe I am at my happiest when I am completely alone, in my own home - no elderly parents, DH or adult DC wanting my company, no needy colleagues at work ... just time and space to be alone, do whatever I want without having to take anyone else into consideration.

This for me too. I am 45 and work 3 long days, one dc at Uni and the other is 18 so I have a lot of free time on my hands. I am never more content when I have the day stretched out ahead of me and nothing planned, bliss.