Brianna Suggs

Dr. Jizi
UWRT 1102
01/17/16

When Happiness is Comatose

Happiness does not reside in a single moment. Instead, happiness is defined through
people, perspectives Hobbes and Rousseau, two philosophers of the enlightenment era,
discussed human nature- are we, without influence, naturally good or bad? This is how I view
happiness. It is an unwavering feeling that is in all humans, only becoming dormant, never truly
disappearing. We are naturally content.
It was the four years of high school that my bliss became comatose. My definition of
happiness then lived in a family and a friend.
I met her freshman year. A girl, with the same name as I, grew to be the greatest friend
and biggest piece of my survival in school. We started out as any friendship does: learn each
others likes/dislikes, sleepovers, hanging out. Within a year, we had no more learning to do. She
became my sister, and her family became my family. In this home away from home, I cried,
laughed, danced, and ate my way through high school. She gave me tough love, and her mother
tender. Happiness is her dad insisting on a Bojangles breakfast while her younger sister yells
about Panera, and her mother shouts for someone to let the dogs out while my sister pounds
down the stairs calling for her Chihuahuas. Happiness is sliding across her kitchen floor, rap
music shaking the house. Happiness is stealing her pillow, and her covers, and her bed. My
happiness was lost in the stress of school; yet this family found it, pulling it from the shadows of
my mind. Happiness is the Thompson family.
He was awkward. Every chance there was to make a corny joke, he took it. He was tall,
nerdy, and he became mine. Somehow, throughout the roughest year I have faced, he remained a
friend. Staying through the stress monster I became was the first piece of happiness he gave to

me. The second was on prom night. Midnight, he texted me to come outside as he had a surprise.
I, at my sisters house of course, came out in my pjs. Suit and all, he played our song and we
danced the dance I had promised him, had I gone to prom. The song ended, he looked into my
eyes, and asked me out. I did what any girl would do- had a panic attack. For several hours, he
stood with me on her driveway as I hyperventilated my way through a very long and messy
yes. Relationships scared me to say the least. Nearly two years later and he too has found a
way to pull out the happiness when it has become dormant.
I struggled throughout high school. Though it was silent in myself, my happiness came
from a beautiful family, and an even more wonderful man. To this day, I find bliss in the
relationships I have upheld with them. I look forward to my years with them; an outlook I owe to
their friendships. Happiness, to me, is found in people and perspectives. Happiness, is Josh and
Bre.

Three-Step Response
1. Velcro Words/Phrases
Happiness is the Thompson Family
2. Feelings
Happiness Hopeful Warm
3. Questions
What more does Josh do to bring you happiness? You described very well what your
friend Bre does to bring you happiness, I would just love to see what more he does for
you besides the time when he asked you out, which was a very sweet story!
Three-step Reflection
1) The reception of my essay went very well. The stories, feelings, and meaning were
well perceived.

2) I did not realize that I had not provided enough information about my second topic, so
that did not go as expected
3) I feel like this type of response is too brief; it should be more in depth, and have more
time to discuss so we can really point out what we found in the papers.