Wee Bee of mine…whose nickname, Bee, literally means “she who brings happiness”…it almost seems redundant to write a post for you on Happiness because you, my dear sweet gorgeous girl, bring not just happiness but Joy wherever you go. Those who are graced with your presence feel it. Even strangers on the street, glancing at you as you smile and wave in your stroller (or, increasingly, as you throw your entire being into running alongside the stroller while shouting, “run, run mummie!” and laughing in delight at the wind in your curls), can’t help but break out in a huge grin that spreads all the way to their eyes.

You Bring Joy. You Bring Light. You Bring Happy.

It pours out of your growing body as you shimmy and shake to a favourite song…as you spin around and around, getting dizzy…as you grab my hand and A.She’s (Aunti Sheri’s) hand too and free fall shouting “weee”, swinging from our arms. As you help cook something delicious for a “yum yum party” (your own invented word for dinner- which in my humble opinion is simply brilliant)…as you get “cozy” under the blankets for a story with the sweetest smile…as you hug and kiss your best friend Patch.

You have taught me so much about being happy and joy-full in your two years and change on this planet.

You don’t hide your happy away, fearful that others might reject you or your joy for life itself.

You are happy in and of itself, and also unapologetically happy when you are with those you love or doing what you love. I used to believe that happiness was only good if it came from within and within alone: but now I know it needs to start within and radiate outwards.

You never people-please. Somehow you intuitively know that doing something just to please other people (very very different than caring for other people or serving others with joy and love) will not only not make you happy, but it also, in the long run, doesn’t make them happy either. The very best way to help spread Happy and Joy around is to just be full of Joy and Happy yourself. To live your truth.

And so, my sweet wee bee, my advice on Happy is to just keep doing what you’re doing, because Happy looks good on you. Keep laughing, keep running, keep twirling around.

And thank you for being our ambassador of Joy. You are teaching us all how to bee.