Today, we had the opportunity to talk about happiness and wellbeing with the residents at Garden of Palms. We were a little nervous about delving into such a deep and philosophical topic, but we were excited to hear the wisdom and insights of the elders.
As we began our discussion, we asked the group what happiness meant to them. The answers were varied, ranging from inner peace and contentment to the importance of kindness, family, and connection.
One thing that stood out to us was the group's love for reflection. One resident shared that for him, happiness was "freedom from limitations and the pleasure of social position, like being a king." This resonated with Sigmund Freud's theory that happiness is the absence of pain and the presence of pleasure.
Throughout the presentation, we also had one-on-one activities such as sharing three things we were grateful for, practicing breathing techniques together, etc.
As we left the center, I couldn't stop thinking about my conversation with an elderly friend named Alfred. He said that happiness cannot be defined the same way for everyone, because we are all unique, but nature has given us similar tendencies towards happiness, like the joy of having a family and feeling of belonging.
Christina Deng, John Ha, Leou Ying, Porter Stein on 10/9/2022
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