The Key to Happiness by Sophie

The Key to Happiness by Sophie - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

Sophie Bustetter

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness- it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.”- Brene Brown

If I had any advice to share with younger students it would be to always live in the present! It takes conscious effort, but is really the key to living life to the fullest. I learned this very important lesson last summer and it has completely changed my perspective.
My brother and I sat at my grandma’s kitchen table looking at a photo album she had never shown to anyone else. It was filled with hundreds of pictures of her life as a young wife and mother. There were pictures of her standing with my grandpa and his parents. There were pictures of her eating lunch with her sisters, Bev and Mary. There were pictures of her mom, Blanche Agnes, whom we had heard so much about. Pictures of my dad and my aunt as young children, playing at the beach, or modeling rad cowboy boots.
We spent about an hour turning pages, asking questions, and laughing at my grandma’s huge hair. I felt like I was getting an insight into the golden years of her life. I realized just how much of it I have never known. She has lived in so many places that I have never seen, and many people who have played a big role in her life, I have never met. Including, her sisters, her parents, her cousins, and her husband.
I sat there for a while with tears in my eyes, staring at the closed cover of the album where she had pasted the words… “A journey filled with love.” I knew that quote reflected the many years she shared with my grandpa, whom I will never get the chance to meet. It was really bittersweet and it hit me that she will never experience those moments with her family again. My dad and aunt will never be young again, and she will not get to see her sisters, husband, or parents again, because of distance separation or because of death. On the other hand, that album was proof that she has experienced many wonderful moments, with many special people.

I will never forget that day when I learned how important it is to cherish what you have, when you have it. Life is constantly changing and that is both good and bad. Good experiences happen throughout life, but appreciating them in the present is so much better than remembering them in retrospect.
As we you get older, opportunities pass, and your life shifts, but if you take a deep breath and enjoy what is in front of you, you will be so much happier and regret less. You only get to experience every grade once, so smile, take risks, and enjoy the opportunities in front of you, without worrying about what lies in the future.