There is joy in this picture. There is also joy outside of it. The little girl's father took it because seeing his daughter happy makes him happy. Mathematically, I am not sure how it works. Although I was not present when this photo was snapped I can imagine the scenario. Hot, grumpy kid = grumpy parent. Add water, and the child is suddenly excited, which makes dad smile too. More than likely the father is not indulging in water play, seeing as he is holding a high end camera, so it is not the water that changes his mood, but rather the delight of being near his sprightly child. 

 

Let's unpack that. To help the man feel great, you make his child happy. Does that not strike you as miraculous? If I were CEO of World Joy Project, I would leap on a chance to exponentially increase my efforts. Making people happy one at a time is incredibly tedious. But when it starts to spread, transformation begins.

 

"He makes me so happy!!"

 

"I feel so great when I am with her!!"

 

Yet something bigger than one-at-a-time jollity is afoot. It happens gradually, camouflaged by repetition and packaged as ordinary moments. Gradually we make a do-si-do with the person who "makes us happy". When we are looking the other way we begin to care more about bringing them joy. 

 

Sometimes it hits me when I find the last peanut butter cup in the package.

"If I eat this, it will taste good for a minute. If I take it to John it will taste good for much longer."

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Andy Sullivan

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