Happiness Is…

By Catherine Steele

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, "happiness" is the feeling of pleasure or contentment. It is the feeling we have when sharing good times with family or friends, being outside on a bright, fresh summer day, enjoying an exciting book, helping others, listening to some favourite music, sitting by a fire, watching the sun set, or achieving a goal. It is one of those feelings you wish you could store!

Recently, we asked 319 adolescents with disabilities and 315 adults with disabilities how happy they felt about their lives. Forty-nine per cent of the adolescents, aged 11 to 16 years, reported being very happy. In contrast, only 25 per cent of adults, aged 19 to 35 years, indicated being very happy. Both groups lived throughout Ontario, half were male and half were female, and all required similar levels of assistance.

Is it surprising that fewer adults than adolescents were very happy? Perhaps we should not be surprised. The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a major event. For example, on reaching adulthood, crucial factors change. School ends, paediatric health care ceases, living away from home begins, responsibilities (and the associated stresses) increase and health issues from aging with a disability appear.

But happiness is key to good health! Somehow we need to put happiness back into adulthood. Health-care professionals in paediatric and adult organizations need to help make the transition to adulthood less traumatic. But also, we need to take control... to try to eliminate the stress; to create a good support network; to notice and enjoy the little things in life. We will have "bad" days when we wonder why we left our beds. But we will have good days. Enjoy, remember and repeat, if possible, these good days.

There is a book entitled "14,000 Things to Be Happy About." Wow! How many things make you happy? What is happiness for you?

(If you have any ideas on feeling happy, please call Catherine Steele at Bloorview MacMillan Centre in Toronto, (416) 425-6220 (or 1-800-363-2440), ext. 3642, or leave an e-mail message at csteele@bloorviewmacmillan.on.ca.)