The Definition of Happiness

While volunteering in Lima, Peru on a two week trip with my university, I was deeply moved by the people I met there. We were working in the shanty towns and helping build sets of stairs to assist residents in walking up the massive sand dune hills to their homes. We also taught children how to brush their teeth and spent lots of time playing with them. Upon my arrival in Lima, I was shocked at the contrast between the rich and the poor. Driving into the shanty towns I wanted to cry seeing how these people lived, I had never seen anything like it in my life. I thought I was going there to help them, I thought they needed helping... I was wrong. I was the one who needed the help.

The people in the shanty town we worked in were the happiest and most generous people I had ever encountered. There was a little boy who stole my heart by showing me how much he loved and cared for his little sister. He was seven and she was two and anytime we gave him anything, he automatically gave it to her. He always held her hand and helped her up the stairs and it was honestly one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. One day we took some of the children to a park and we brought bags of snacks and treats for them and they were trying to share their treats with us. I know that I probably wouldn't have been that generous as a child, especially when treats are a rare occasion for them.

On our last day in Lima, the locals held a fiesta for us. They decorated their houses, played music, danced with us, and cooked us a huge feast. They were so grateful for us for coming there and they wanted to give back. They didn't need to do any of the above because they had already given back to us with their love and generosity. They taught me so much in that short time and I will never ever forget it.

Happiness isn't defined by what you have. Happiness is something you choose and something you share. This was love in Lima.