When you’re happy and you know it, SHARE IT!

When you give the gift of happiness to others, it not only brings joy to the receiver, it also grows happiness within yourself. That’s why connecting with others becomes more meaningful when it is an act of sharing happiness. It can be from small, simple acts of kindness like gifting an ice cream cone on a hot day to large gestures like helping feed a community during hard times. It inspires others and, at the same time, makes you feel warm and fuzzy in your heart.

These days, no one has had it easy, yet there are still those who go out on a limb to put a smile on people’s faces. Let’s take a look at some memorable moments of sharing happiness in the past year.

Happiness is just like riding a bike
A video taken of food delivery rider Mary Rose P. Barboza went viral last July 2021 showing her sitting on the ground and crying after the bike she uses for deliveries, her sole source of income, was stolen.

Mary Rose was happy to help with her family’s living expenses and opted to brave the trucks and unsafe streets to become a food delivery rider. She didn’t own a motorcycle so she used her bicycle. Doing her regular food delivery tasks, she parked in front of a pizza parlor to talk to the restaurant crew inside. This was when her bike was stolen.

Mary Rose was devastated by the setback. Many other riders tried to console her as she was sitting and crying on the pavement. The viral video of that moment touched the sympathies of many who know how difficult it is to make do with what you have when you don’t really have much.

A bike shop owner saw the video and felt that he could make a difference and share happiness by making do with what he had, too. He had bikes. He reached out to the community on social media to help put him in touch with Mary Rose so that he could give her a new bike.

That bike has become Mary Rose’s source of happiness as she continues to help her family by being a food delivery rider.

Setting the stage for happiness
Not many of us have heard of the municipality of Tobias Fornier, let alone know where it is. In this little town in Antique,  Rosalina Serguino and her co-teachers of Lawigan Elementary School brought happiness to their 6th grade students through a graduation ceremony they will never forget.

The roads in Tobias Fornier aren’t completely paved. Some elementary students have to walk to school on unpaved roads that can grow muddy after a night of rain, but these persistent children know the value of education and pursue it eagerly and happily.

Last year’s 6th grade class was not able to have their graduation ceremony because of the pandemic, but it was something they hoped to have after working hard, a symbol of completion for themselves, and something to bring happiness to their parents. Internet connection in the area is spotty at best and many aren’t equipped with electronic gadgets, so online ceremonies were not possible either.

Teacher Rosalina Serguino wanted to make sure that the students know how important education is by holding a ceremony to celebrate their achievement of finishing elementary school.

When restrictions relaxed slightly and the teachers found a way to give their students a proper ceremony while observing safety protocols, then the stage was set, literally. A mobile stage pulled by a carabao went to each of the students’ houses, passing the muddy streets with diplomas and medals in tow. A mini awarding ceremony was held at each student’s house where they would climb the makeshift stage adorned with balloons and happily receive honors.

Deliver happiness to others to find your own
The pandemic was hard on those in the entertainment industry. Stand-up comedian Red Ollero used to bring so much happiness to others, until he couldn’t. There were no shows to be held, venues were closed, gatherings prohibited. He was disheartened at first but he found another way to bring happiness to others.

Red’s answer was in ice cream. Delivering Selecta ice cream became his job while toughing out the pandemic, and this is where he found happiness again.

Let’s all share happiness and become part of the HapPinas project with Selecta! Those moments that brought a smile to your face, made the community happy, or became a cause for celebration just deserve to be shared! Become part of the HapPinas map and #ShareHappinas to inspire others every day.

Happiness is sweeter when we choose to share it with others.