8.13 Happy - Is

Bestest Friend and I are in the middle of a blog project. Each day of the month we will post a picture on a pre-determined theme and write a little something about it. The theme for the thirteenth day of each month is "Happy."
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Happiness is watching the relief on a student's face when she realizes it's not so hard. It's the sight of a pile of syllabi, all waiting for the first day of class. It's the skyline of Minneapolis, Chicago, or Detroit. It's my husband's face first thing in the morning as he hands me my mug of tea.

It's the contagious laughter with friends during a round of Apples to Apples, the new Taylor Swift CD playing in the background of my office, and my ringtone when Bestest Friend is calling.

It's the smell of freshly made rice pudding, musty old books found in used bookstores and libraries, and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.

It's the giant hug from my nephew when he first sees me, my cat leaning against my legs, and a kiss goodnight from my husband.

It's the taste of a Diet Coke straight from a fountain, the first candy cane Hershey Kiss of the year, and the first tomato of the summer, eaten straight off the vine, still warmed from the sun.
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To see what Bestest Friend wrote about the theme of the day, check out her blog, Too Legit to Quit.