Hopewit

  When a maturing offspring makes a decisive but unwise choice and we get into a quarrel about it, what do we mean when we say, “... but I just want you to be happy!” I’m wondering about that this morning because I just read an interview with an author who contends in her new book that we overload ourselves with romantic fantasies when we expect a relationship will bring lasting happiness. I agree that many of us may grow up with expectations of romance that are unrealistic; we only need to listen to a few country/pop songs to verify that observation. Fairy tales of our childhood sometimes ended with the line, “... and they lived happily ever after.” Our childish imaginations had to fill in what the rest of their lives were like... compared to ours, possibly. Defining happiness as relief from suffering, boredom, pain, fear, abandonment, etcetera might have some merit if such relief should bring on a feeling of euphoria. We might also talk about happiness brought on by conquest... winn