The Widest Smile

I remember watching this video sometimes back. It went something like this: It’s about a mythical couple with two sons. The father had a candy in his hand. Both sons wanted it. So, the mother suggested giving the candy to the first boy who could fly around the universe once quickest. Immediately after the mother finished, the eldest son turned into an eagle and off he went flying. The younger son stood still and thought for a while. He then stretched out his hands like wings, and ran around his parents like a bird. Putting on the widest smile on their face, the parents happily gave the candy to the young boy.

Probably the biggest smile I’ve ever worn on my face was the smile when my wife called and told me she’s pregnant with our first child. Putting down the phone, I didn’t know how to react. After the numbness fade away, I started to smile.

Remember the happy feeling you had when you got the key to your first car? Driving around town, showing off to friends, blowing the horn. How happy. How proud. NAH!! After the first day driving it, the happiness would probably diminished with each day passing by. The car would remain the same to hardly bring any more joy for years to come, if you haven’t sold it off for a new car in 5 years time.

What about when you opened the newspaper the other day and found out that you had struck first prize with your lottery ticket. And the feeling you had holding the prize money in your hand. NAH!! That happiness would die down little by little with every cent you spent on your prize money. Eventually, the happiness would come to a naught.

Then, picture this - angels flying around my head, singing heavenly tune into my ears; flowers starting to blossom all around, nodding gently in delight; butterflies and birds gathering around me, playfully chasing each, sharing my joy; wind blowing gently onto my face, caressing me softly; the grass on the ground dancing in synchronization with the wind; far away, against the snow-capped mountain, deep blue lake lurking behind the lush pine tree forest, a beautiful lady with angelic face, running down the hill, going “rasa sayang, heh, rasa sayang …” NAH!! Get real!

Probably, the closest way to describe the moment was this: exactly in my heart, I felt something small, something very fulfilling. Like a seed, with every heartbeat, it slowly grew within to reach the rest of me. As soon as it reached my whole body, it exploded ever so gently into millions drops of happiness, injecting a blissful sense and contentment into my body.

How happy am I? After almost nine years, whenever I see my daughter running towards me, that same smile would still blossom on my face and that same blissful feeling would still grow within me.

Nowadays, if anybody asks me to fly around the universe once, I would stretch out my hands, run around my two children, and give them a big hug.