Happy People Are Brave

Viktoriya Gaponski
Sep 2, 2018 · 1 min read

My grandmother always cooked delicious meals, she taught me multiplication before I entered first grade, and sang songs with me on warm summer evenings. My grandmother was always laughing, in person and in pictures, and it’s mostly how I remembered her — happy.

I didn’t learn until much later that she wasn’t happy in her marriage or living in a small town.

I’ve been drawn to people like my grandmother all my life. The ones who’ve faced an array of challenges, but still burst out in laughter louder than a carefree child. It’s not the giggles, nor a chuckle, it’s a laugh that comes from awareness that someday all of these problems will not matter and we will laugh looking back at them. And someday for these people is always now.

Happy people are brave. Brave enough to keep facing life with love and kindness despite it all.

I wish I knew my grandmother when I was older so I can ask her what made her brave. I’m sure whatever it was, we would’ve laughed about it.

Viktoriya Gaponski
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade