Finding Happiness (1)

A dear friend of mine once told me this story about her relatives. She told me that years ago, her relatives took a kid and his mother from the streets to be taken care at their home. Her relatives treated them nice. Gave them shelter, foods, love, and other things you can expect from your family. It was seem like a happy story, right? I thought so.

But that was not the end of the story. One day, the kid and his mom ran away, back to the streets.
So I was confused. I mean, WHAT WERE ON THEIR MIND?!?
They had everything in that house. The kid even had a good chance to have a proper education. I couldn't help but wonder, why would they ruined that?

Actually, that was not the first time I heard that kind of story, about people in the streets being taken care of some nice families, but then they ran away. People said, and my friend also said this, that it was because they were not used to have rules in their life. Those kind of family rules like do not come home late, etc.

Oh dear, what a pity.. I thought so. But then, I thought about it again. Well, maybe they had different perspective of happiness. In my perspective, I am happy because I have a very nice family, I live in prosperity, I go to college, I have good friends, etc. In their perspective, it might be freedom.

When I saw kids singing in the junctions, or old women carrying a basket of fruits to be sold, or everyone that in my opinion were not have as much prosperity or opportunity as I had, I often asked myself:
Are they happy?

I also often asked myself these random questions:
Do they envy me for what I have?
Do they envy me for not need to work as hard as they do?
Do they wish that they were someone else?
Do they think that God is unfair?
Do they wish for a better families?
...and the list will get longer and longer.

Then, I tried to think in reverse version. Lets say, hmm... Paris Hilton. What would she think about me? Maybe she would doubt my happiness to because:
I have (and actually I am not the real owner) Karimun instead of private jet..
I live in a developing country instead of USA..
I wear fifty thousands rupiahs clothes instead of Chanel..
I live in a 4x4 m room instead of penthouse(s)..
I have an ordinary family instead of the famous one..
etc..etc..
My life might be Paris Hilton's (or anyone like her) nightmare. But for me, it is not. It is (almost) perfect. In fact, I don't want hers.

The same thing maybe happened to those kids in the streets. While for me their lives are nightmare, for them, those are perfect. And they don't want mine.

Everyone has their own definition of happiness. Some definitions are shaped by what people told us. We heard, and still hear, those definitions.
Happiness is having a nice family. Happiness is having lots of money. Happiness is to find your soul mate. Happiness is to have people who love you. etc.. etc..
I am not saying that those are wrong. In fact, I take some of those definitions. I just can't always wish that other people will have the same definition as mine. I just have to accept that some things that for me are horrible, can be other people happiness.


PS: I know it's a long writing, but sorry, I have not finished yet. I still have some thoughts to be shared in the next post. It's my blog anyway, I can write whatever I like and you don't have to read. No offense. :)