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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

The sun was shining, I could feel the warmth of the merry-go-round heating up my skin the longer we sat there. The wind was blowing, causing the sound of leaves and swings moving to mix with the melody of the cicadas. It was simple really, just best friends enjoying the comfort of one another. No worries of the future, and feeling no pain of those two years we hadn’t seen each other. No regrets of the countless hours I had to drive and money I spent to get there. All that mattered was that in that moment, we were together and the earth seemed to agree. As the wind picked up and the storm began to roll in, we knew we would have to go inside soon, however we didn’t dread it. I felt the first drop of rain on my skin, but I didn’t care. I was truly happy where I was. I looked over and saw her smiling and knew she felt the same way, the simplest moments create our happiest memories. So, we stood up, stretched our backs and headed home in the rain.

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

My mother said she loves me for the first time in I don’t know how many years… We had been away from each other more than a month and I could tell from her voice in our calls that she has missed me as much as I had missed her. We’ve never been too close, and she has never been a friendly mother. We were always away from each other even when sharing the same house. I didn’t know her positive feelings about me I only knew the anger, the disapproval, and sometimes the disappointment. I know people say that a mother loves her children no matter what, but it was not possible for me to know that my mother loves me because she had never said it before. But two weeks ago, it happened. I never thought it would affect me this much but hearing those words from her made me the happiest person in the whole world, maybe just for a couple of seconds but it made me realize how much I needed to hear my mother say she loves me. And that couple of seconds is the best memory I’ve got and it is a moment that I will never forget

- Turkey

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

I went to WorldPride in NYC last month for Stonewall-50 and there was something so comforting about being surrounded by millions of people who unquestionably loved and supported each other. I’ve never felt safer and more at peace with who I am than on that day. I had forgotten what it was like to let my guard down. What a wonderful gift.

- Canada

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

One day a boy surprised me with a box of tic tacs, the small, hard mints. Apple-Mix flavored. It was so nice. That memory still makes me happy and just thinking about that person puts a smile on my face. I really appreciate little things like that. So precious. He came near my house to give it to me. It was a cold evening and I was shaking from the cold and emotions. I still remember that day like yesterday. Sending that person a warm hug. 

- Moldova

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

One memory that stands out to me is from about a year ago when I was moving! It was a super stressful process since my dad was away for work, leaving it up to my mom and I to move everything. Since I wasn’t moving far, just about 15 minutes away from the house I was living in, my best friend offered to help. School had just started, which was an added stress for me, but my friend would come over almost every day and help us pack and move things to my new home! One particular night, close to when we had to officially be out of the house, my mom told my best friend and I to go get food. We were so exhausted from the day, but my friend and I put on some music and just sang at the top of our lungs! The sun was setting and looked so incredible, almost like the sky was exploding. We were so carefree and it felt like all of my stress disappeared. I felt like I was in a teen movie, it was definitely one of my favorite nights ever and one of my favorite memories with her.

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

When I was about 3 years old, my mom and I were in line at the grocery store. Just like most grocery stores, they had candy right there near the register, where people might make an impulse purchase.

Well, right there where we were standing in line, they had these long clear plastic strips of lollipops. Just a really long strip of plastic with about 10 lollipops of all different colors sticking out. And I begged my mom for one. Begged her and begged her and begged her. I wanted those lollipops so bad! But we didn’t have much money then, and my mom told me no. She said we couldn’t afford it.

But the man in line behind us asked my mom if it would be okay if he bought me the strip of lollipops. My mom said yes, and this total stranger who I would never see again bought me a strip of 10 lollipops and it was like the best thing that had ever happened to me in my life at that point! All these lollipops! Just for me! It was like heaven.

I’m 47 years old now, so this happened about 44 years ago. That man is probably still alive somewhere, possibly quite old, possibly in a nursing home, and he has no idea that there is a grown woman out there in the world who has spent 44 years being grateful to him for having the kindness to spontaneously spend about $1 on a strip of lollipops for a little girl he didn’t know. It always reminds me of the difference we can make in other people’s lives with just the smallest act of generosity.

- United States

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Hi everyone! Running this blog brought me so much joy, so I’m starting it up again. If anyone wants to submit a nice memory it would be very appreciated!

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

I went to a farmer’s market and saw that a girl was selling some paintings and prints. I bought some of her prints and we had a really short but lovely conversation. She told me I was beautiful and that I looked like one of her paintings. That kindness meant a lot to me.

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

I think a memory that makes me the most happy and that I will probably never forget is the thunderstorms. When I was little I was terrified of thunderstorms and every time a thunderstorm came I would get out of bed and go to my parents in the living room. They would let me stay there with them; my mom would sometimes read me a book and my dad would put up some songs on vinyl. And when the thunderstorm was over they would bring me back to bed, or sometimes I fell asleep and my dad would carry me to bed. 

- The Netherlands

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

Paris

Truth be told, I’m not sure I can do justice to this memory, and I doubt anyone will ever read this, but I’ll try to write this nonetheless.

I met him on the first day of middle school, when we were 11, and immediately felt drawn to him. That was the closest to love at first sight I’d experienced - and still have, to this day. Back then, I couldn’t go a day without seeing him. But over the years, we kept growing closer, and then drifting apart, over and over again. There was this undeniable attraction between us but somehow nothing ever happened…until senior year.

We were at a party at his house. We were in the same class and had been talking again for a while. People started leaving, and eventually it was only the two of us, and his sister. She told us there was this scaffolding in their building’s dooryard and she wanted to go on it. So we went along. We got all the way up. The apartment under the roofs was empty and wide open. It was magical. Going on the roof was harder. We had to jump the gap between the scaffolding and the actual rooftop. What if I fell? But he took my hand and suddenly I wasn’t scared anymore. Up there, it was like entering a new world. Seeing the city where I was born in a mesmerizing new light. I could go on about this for hours. Ever seen Ratatouille? 

We went up the ladder that got us on top of a chimney, and we finally sat down. We spoke for ages up there. We could see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the stars above us. He told me he had loved me too, from the first time we met, on the first day of middle school, when we were 11. And we finally kissed… a kiss 7 years in the making — and I don’t think I’ll ever feel like this again.

- France

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

I went to PetSmart with my mom a while ago on a weekend home from college. They were having an adoption drive there. I met my best friend Scooby and adopted him. He’s been my best friend for two years now. That trip to PetSmart is a very happy memory.

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

Everybody always told me that my great grandma loved me more than there were stars in the sky, and I believed them. I was almost always at her apartment, pretty much as long as I can remember. I was told once that when she was looking after me when I was a baby, she would crack open the door every morning and say hello. Every time, I would grin a happy toothless grin. I have photos of her everywhere, most of them including me all joyful in her lap or on the floor next to her playing with a doll. We were both always smiling. As I grew older, we would sit together in her living room and watch cartoons and I would color in a coloring book as she told me stories. We had so many inside jokes and stories of our own, we could talk and talk forever and never get tired. I would write her letters with little drawings and jokes, and saying how much I love her. When she passed, my family would buy balloons from the dollar store and I would write her a letter or draw her a picture. We would tie it to the balloon, let it into the sky and watch it go until it was just a tiny dot in between the clouds.

This all isn’t one memory of an event or place, but a memory of my favorite person in the world, my great grandmother who I loved more than there are stars in the sky.

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

Now I know this isn’t my happiest memory but I just wanted to say that this boy makes me feel so wonderful. We’re not dating yet but I already get butterflies whenever his name pops up on my phone. I can’t help but smile anytime I catch him staring at me when we facetime. I wanna see him again soon. For instance right now as I’m writing this post I can hear his cute little snores on the other end of our call. I’m smiling now. I never have crushes. I hope he stays in my life for a long time. Is this what it feels like to be falling in love?

 - United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

One of my happiest memories recently was at my boyfriend’s prom last weekend. The whole night felt magical. We ate dinner at a lovely restaurant and took pictures near the ocean. The venue was decorated simply, but beautifully. There were flower-shaped fairy lights strung along the windows. The lighting was dim enough to give the masquerade-themed dance a sense of mystery. We laughed and sang along to songs as we danced. Slow dancing was amazing. Our first kiss happened while we slow-danced to Perfect by Ed Sheeran. I was singing the lyrics to him while we swayed; it felt like the perfect moment to do it. After it ended, he dropped me off at home. We said goodbye with a kiss on my front porch. 

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

My happiest memory was finally being able to see my favorite artist in concert with two amazing friends (one I was already friends with and the other I have no idea how I wasn’t already friends with) and we just drove for a while there and back singing and laughing and I had the most fun I’ve ever had that night. I won’t ever forget it.  

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

A happy memory that I’ll never forget is my first concert. It was a Twenty One Pilots concert, and prior to attending I was in a very bad place and had been for a long time. Being there with all the people who also like their music and understood what it felt like to be at your lowest created a sense of belonging and unity between all of us. Car Radio began to play and it means a lot to me because it was the first song I’ve ever heard from them and when I finally heard it played live, when Tyler and Josh were so close to me, that was the moment when I felt alive again. A Twenty One Pilots concert to me is the equivalent of someone helping you up when you’re down and telling you you’re alive and you will be okay. This was my happiest memory; I finally got to see the band who helped me through a very tough time in my life and helped me keep going.

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

Going on a road trip with my best friends was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was completely spontaneous. We had decided to meet up at the park one day to eat snacks and chill, and one of my friends talked about how she had anxiety about going to Utah the following weekend. She had a college tour. And we thought, “Why don’t we just go with you?” We decided that we’d just leave town together that exact same day and have fun stopping at places until it was time for her to be in Utah. We went to Nebraska and Las Vegas and then to Utah. After leaving Utah we went to California, and then traveled back home. This road trip lasted for two weeks. I had never been to any of those places before and never had the money to travel so I’m glad I got to do it with them.

- United States

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What’s a memory that makes you happy?

I was in second grade, my two friends and I saw a staff member carrying a tray of watermelons to the teachers room in building B. We didn’t have the keys obviously, so we climbed up the wall and sneaked into the teachers room. Each one of us held a piece of watermelon, I don’t know why we didn’t eat them straight away. We climbed back again to reach building A and when we reached the ground we saw a bunch of teachers looking at us and my brother looking at me in shame. All three of us got detention but at least we ate the watermelon.