Happiness is Like a Kiss

There’s an old song sung by Ella Fitzgerald and Louie Armstrong titled, It Takes Two to Tango. The chorus lyrics read: “Takes two to tango, two to tango / Two to really get the feeling of romance / Let’s do the tango, do the tango / Do the dance of love.” That’s the way it is with happiness. Our happiness increases in direct proportion to the number of people with whom we can share it and who reciprocate it with us. Think about going to a ball game alone. Your team wins an exciting game. The people around you are sharing their joy with their friends, It’s not quite the same as when you have someone with you to share the joy of victory. When I passed my dissertation defense on my way to my doctorate, I called my wife as soon as I got out of the defense meeting. She screamed with joy. We were sharing a happiness moment. Bernard Meltzer had it right when he wrote, “Happiness is like a kiss. You must share it to enjoy it.”