Sprinkles of Life's Best Offers

Contentment. People often say that in this world, contentment is something so absurd and hard to find. Even with a person who has everything there is to ask for, contentment still seems to not pay any heed to that person. I kind of thought that when I experience contentment, it will be when I am already sleeping on gold with my own stable job and family. What I didn’t expect however is that contentment will come knocking on my door when my family is at the lowest portion of our lives together. I experienced contentment when my aunt is in the hospital, when I was unable to attend school, when my mom is buried in debt threatened to be put in prison and when all we have is together. I never thought it would come and I was astounded when it did.

It was a windy Tuesday morning on my way to the hospital with my sister to visit my aunt and buy her medicines when I felt contentment. It was not a life-changing experience to be honest. It was a mere 10-second phenomenon of feeling totally happy of what I have at the very moment. It was the sweetest feeling I ever felt. And ironically, despite all the struggles that my family and I are experiencing, it seems like everything else doesn’t matter. It was a feeling of total gratefulness over the things and the people I truly treasure at that very moment. It was like winning the lottery and feeling like I don’t have to work my ass out. It was like I am the richest person in the world and I don’t have any problem to face. But then the 10 seconds ended, and everything was back to what it really is- the despicable and desperate situation that we are currently in.

With what happened, I wondered if contentment is made of tiny little glimpses of satisfaction that people have in different portions in their lives. I believe that it does not need for you to be filthy rich or to have the perfect family for you to feel contented. In my case, my first little glimpse is in the midst of many struggles. But the real cause of satisfaction which gave birth to that 10-second phenomenon is the fact that I have my family with me all through the struggles. We may be shouldering something heavy yet the fact that many shoulders are helping each other to carry that burden and that I am not alone to do that task made me happier and more contented than a billionaire.

So is there such thing as happily ever after or life of contentment after struggles? I don’t think so. I believe that contentment comes in little packages and are scattered through the different parts of our lives. It’s neither a forever thing nor a long-lasting feeling. It’s a short time phenomenon making you feel appreciative of what you currently have. I guess that actually is the reason why contentment is never for the extremes like riches or power. I think it’s because contentment really comes from being grateful and satisfied with what you have regardless of how small or abundant that might be in the point of view of other people. The fact remains that you are happy and contented with it and that’s what you are so grateful for and gives birth to contentment.