Member-only story
Christmas Happiness or Christmas Bliss
A coming of age holiday story
When I was a kid, the Christmas season was a time of wonder. These were the days before the internet, and we would review catalogs from JC Penney’s, S&H Green Stamps, and Sears day after day in an effort to make the perfect Christmas list. Ads during our favorite TV shows and those in the Sunday paper would remind us of other items to add to the list. Then we would meticulously prioritize the items on our wish list before sending them to Santa in anticipation of what would be under the tree on Christmas day.
On Christmas Eve, I could never sleep, because I was too excited about what the morning would bring. A new bicycle, a baseball bat, or some new toys that would engage my imagination for weeks on end were all the happiness I could ever hope for. Year after year the delight of Christmas was a feeling that couldn’t be topped.
Then one year, I discovered that bliss tops happiness, and the magic of Christmas took on a whole new meaning. Happiness is a feeling of immense joy and contentment. Bliss, however, is derived from a sense of satisfaction and contentment that by our actions we have contributed to the happiness of others, and in turn, made the world a better place. And that is how I felt the year I gave my cousin the item that was on the top of her list, the one she waited…
