When do you think you were the happiest you've ever been?

The past three years up until Feb. of this year.

I met the love of my life. Our relationship is beautiful, rare and real.

Sadly, I am going through a bit of depression right now. I am getting help for it, and hope to be back to my old self again.

I have been very happy at different times in my life. I would not know how to compare and say which was the happiest.

I had been going through a very happy period the last two years. Things were not perfect, but they were very, very good. I hope to get back to that, but right now I am dealing with the stress of a move so things are off a bit.

This entire last decade after divorcing from a very unhappy marriage, getting set up in my own house, and just embracing the joy and freedom from an oppressive relationship.

The ‘high’ has lost some of it’s intensity, but, I am still grateful, every day, for how far I have come and how sweet freedom. ;-)

Without a doubt when my first child (my son) was born. That day will forever go down in history as the day I completely lost it. I literally approached strangers like a demented smurf, declaring I was a daddy. Fucking wackjob, but I didn’t care.

Right now,damnit. ;)

I have been pretty happy throughout my life but I would honestly have to say the happiest was when I way 5 or 6 and didn’t have a care in the world.

My 20’s and much of my 30’s when I was self employed and just living life one day at a time doing whatever and whenever I wanted. Really had a great time with some really off the wall adventurous friends doing all sorts of crazy shit. Getting married and having kids created set responsibilities and I knew this would be a game changer and have zero regrets.

Now ain’t so bad either as I have now everything mapped out in my life and having that sense of security and control over what I can and will do brings a sense of relief and happiness that has eluded me for the last 14 years.

After my divorce, because I was simply free. I still feel the same, but without as much joviality, and now I’m just in a constant state of happiness and appreciation because I can always think back to when I wasn’t free and happy.

My third year of school, Year 9, was the happiest time of my life. I had amazing friends, nice teachers, a sweet boyfriend and seemed to get good grades effortlessly. Since then things have really changed – my friends have fallen out for no particular reason and I’ve lost closeness with my best friend, one of my friends got really ill, my boyfriend just seemed to vanish into thin air when we weren’t in any classes together, and I’ve found that you have to work hard to get good results! If I could go back to Year 9 and appreciate life a bit more, I would, in a heartbeat.

Age 14; I got over my middle-school angst and was beginning to make the realization that my own self-respect was more important than what my peers thought about me – this made me much more comfortable to begin acting in the way that I thought was best, and not the way that I thought people wanted me to. I also loved being a freshman in high school and being surrounded by people older than myself who I could look up to, rather than always being around people younger than myself who just seemed annoying to me (at the time).

Several months after making these realizations is when I started to get ill, and so life became more complicated, putting quite a damper on the happiness. I am getting back there, slowly – taking action to restore my health and moving on from the “sick” mindset, looking forward towards a more normal life.

ETA: Also had a very happy period after my first flare-up because I was just so damn appreciative of my health at that point, and I didn’t fully understand that illness was going to come back.

Hmm, I think the absolute single most happiest moment was seeing my husband walk in at his welcome home ceremony when he came home from Iraq bak in December. He had been deployed for all of 2010. He did get to come home for two weeks for R&R at one point, but this was a bit different than that. I wanted to run up to him so badly right that second, but we had to wait for them to be dismissed from formation first. My son and I were both in tears waiting for that moment and it was so great being in his arms and knowing that he wasn’t leaving again in a few weeks.

When he came home for R&R would be a close second place to that feeling. Just seeing him in person for the first time after eight and a half months of relying strictly on phone calls, IMs, and the web cam was amazing. I waited outside in the car at the airport for him to walk out and the moment he did was wonderful.

There have been some really happy periods in my life as well. The top three would be the time period of having my first son, the time period around marrying my husband, and right now. My son is growing into a wonderful young boy (he’s 9 now), my husband and I have been married for almost 3 years and have a wonderful family and a wonderful time together, and we are expecting our second son in a few weeks (technically his first, but he claims my first as his own). Life is good!

Ever since Alex came into my life, I have been the happiest I’ve ever been. I think despite all that’s been going on, I’m really coming into my own right now and am very blessed in my life. I feel hopeful about the future (I didn’t always feel this way), I have this amazing love in my life and these amazing children and these incredibly inspiring friends. But, again, I wouldn’t be able to have such a positive outlook without meeting the love of my life. Being with him, just the two of us on top of each other, is literally my safe haven, my absolute favorite thing to do so whenever I get a chance to do that, I am happy.

I have high and low days, just like everyone else, but one of my very happiest times was the period between when my husband proposed to me, and the day of our wedding. All that anticipation was so wonderful that I really did feel “high on love” for quite a while!

When I had Popeye’s and Arizona Iced Tea. Not a lot goes on in my life.

Right now, I think. I have come through the worst part of my life, and learned how to be stable. But more importantly, I have learned that I am lovable and that people do love me—some of them love me very much. I know I can rely on people when I am down. People will want to help me. I’m not alone.

Yes, I no longer feel like I am alone. That is one of the most amazing things ever!

Also, I believe a bit more in myself. There are always doubts, of course, but I have been able to help people in some seriously deep ways, lately, and that means more to me than any other work I have done in my life. And it isn’t even work. I enjoy it and I do it because I choose to, not because I have to.

Today, this morning, this second.

Cliches, but I would have to say my wedding day and the birth of my first child.

Let’s see, it’s 2011, so I think back to 04–05 were the happiest years ever for me.

Did you see this article that says that people report they are happiest in their 80’s. So hang in there! http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/04/15/news/doc4da82e6b90494420130443.txt

@Mariah -“my own self-respect was more important than what my peers thought about me” You are one smart lady

I’ve been fairly happy in general for most of my life, there aren’t too many times where I was generally unhappy, but a time that really stands out above all others in happiness is the summer of 2009. It was essentially a three and a half-month long adventure with my closest friends. I probably spent more time on vacation that summer than I did at home. It consisted of meeting new people I’d be going to college with, having my first kiss and starting a relationship with the person who is now my boyfriend, going on several road trips with friends; it was just an excellent time from June until September, really. Of course, it ended with everybody going off to college and separating (though we still all spend time together now), but I will never forget the memories of that summer; it was exceptional.

One of the best things about it is that I made about 5 mix CDs that summer (more than I’ve ever made before in a short period of time) and the songs really remind me of what we did; some songs bring back memories of very specific situations.

And of course, that September was also when I came out to everyone, so that was an excellent time to follow, finally ending the 5+ years of concealment within the closet.

I think my mid-20s. I just had a lot of good things going for me, I had my mental issues under control and I was just a happy person in general.

Recently my husband got his kids back after a year of being wrongfully separated from us. I don’t remember ever feeling joy like I did seeing their faces again for the first time in 12 months.

@ANef_is_Enuf Good for you guys and the kids. That put a smile on my face.

@Adirondackwannabe thank you, it’s been a really awesome last few days. :)

@ANef_is_Enuf Sometimes the goodguys win one.:)
Plus it’s 80 degrees here and the sun is shining. I guess it’s not a bad day after all. I’m happy.

My reconciliation with God.

I’m the happiest I’ve ever been right now, right here, this moment. There are birds singing in the puakenikeni tree and the scent of it’s blossoms permeates the air. The sun is shining. I’m having lunch with a friend later and the anticipation is exciting. It’s a grand day.

I’ve had many happy experiences in my life, but for a certain time period, I would have to say the past 7 months since we walked away from our home and moved. My children are doing well, I have very little stress now, and everyone is fairly healthy.

Probably from infant-hood to about 6 years old. I think I’ve been on auto-pilot since then…

The happiest I’ve been would definitely have to be when I was young, like 5 to 10 years old.
I wish I could go back.

Last night. I reconnected with someone that I used to be in love with and it made me feel so happy inside.

The summer vacation when I was ten is hard to beat. I hated my teacher all year. I had zero responsiblities, many friends, I felt safe, we had a happy home, the weather was incredible and I knew I had my whole life ahead of me and it was a big mystery. Not a care in the world. None.
And if I may, next would be in my early twenties raising kids and moving to Colorado, meeting new friends who were really hysterical and watching as my husband continued his education. He studied, went to classes or rode a motorcycle in the Rockies; I played mommy with the kids and learned to cook. Sometimes I’d take classes too. I loved his parents; they were the best and I miss them. and I slept like a baby back then.

After my Mom died, I was terribly depressed, and very stressed out. Besides her estate, I also was dealing with my son, who was a senior in High School, who seemed determined not to graduate. He skipped his afternoon classes every day, and rarely got to school on time.
I took several weeks off just to make sure he go out in the morning, and couldn’t come home until it was time. During that time, I worked on my Mom’s estate.
2 months later, my son graduated by the skin of his teeth. I was so relieved I felt the same way I did the first time I kissed my first girlfriend. I knew exactly what the song “Walking On The Moon” meant.

The end of 1999 when I was in love, living/working in my favorite city and friends of mine would visit just about every month. My bf at the time and I would go out of town once a month for at least 2–3 days and between times then we’d take local hikes, drives and go dancing. I was making more money than I’d ever made before, I had a brand new car, I was young, healthy, good looking, my bf was an angel and each day we’d tell each other we were the best thing that had ever happened to either of us.

Currently, I pretty damn happy again but it’s been a rough road getting here and a long journey. A lot of potholes know me

Having my children, I remember the daze of first time motherhood. I don’t remember anything but pure love and happiness..nothing but my son mattered. The birth of my second son was different, it took me longer to bond to him (approx six weeks) I remember the instant the bond was felt and the overwhelming love and need to protect and snuggle.
The day I got married is also one of the happiest days of my life.

When GOD opened my eyes to the meaning of my existence. Why I had to struggle first so I can value everything I achieved now. Godliness with contentment is great gain -Book of Timothy

I think I’d have to say now. I’m

When all I had to worry about was getting my homework done on time, and even then, I really didn’t care. Hanging out with my two best friends at the time, Natalie and Joseph, on those frozen January evenings, fucking around on the iced up river. We made up this Viking like deity named Tempo, mock sword fought one another with sticks in his honour, and found this graffiti of some dude with a beard on a bridge pillar, and that was our Tempo temple.
Playing Super Mario, Mortal Kombat or Megaman X all weekend during sleepovers, (Natalie even spent one Christmas with my dad and me, while her mom was off getting drunk or some shit, fucks if I know) played tag and various other games in the park on Summer, and caused drama in the ’‘attic’’, which was a big space under some stairs on the fifth floor of an apartment building. We’d hide in there and badmouth everyone we didn’t like lol. I drew on the walls with markers, usually scary faces, and Natalie hated them haha.
Joseph desperately wanted to take martial art courses, I think Ninjitsu or Jujitsu I forget, so we’d go on ’‘quests’’ downtown to find a dojo. We actually found one that seemed decent for him, but sadly, his dad didn’t have the cash. Just random stuff that kids do, for a good while.
That one year and a half or so I’ll always remember. Then I was taken to live in a group home, and everything sucked after that. I saw them both again from time to time, but life had broken our bonds. I was busy being a delinquent, Joseph (we always just called him Jo, even writing ’‘Joseph’’ feels funny) was doing pretty good, and Natalie hit a bit of a hard strike for some years, doing a bunch of drugs, but she straightened up when she got pregnant and had her son.
It sucks that the three of us never got back together, and now, after all this time, I have absolutely no idea what they’re up to. I hope they’re fine, and I’m sure they both remember the frozen river times, too. :D

[/corndog]

I’m nowhere near as happy now as back then, but also, I don’t have the same mindframe today as I did when I was 13. :/

Not religious anymore but I still get the warmest happiest feelings whenever I reminisce on my years as a kid during Christmas season. The first Christmas carol I hear, the chill in the air…I just want to go back!

I’ve had a lot of happy moment in my life. But I think the greatest of all is when I passed the entrance exam to to school I dreamed of (I’m a high school student). It’s a famous school in my country and competitions to it is tough. Everyone used to think I was a stupid person ‘cause I used to be a bad student at school. Nobody expected me to get adopted to that school. That event has changed people’s opinion about me forever. My parents were so pleased about this that they boasted to everyone in my neighbourhood until when school started.