The other night I was listening to my husband and my son playing together. The sound of them laughing together is one of the things that brings me the most joy in life. And it made me think: How would I explain this feeling to someone else? How could I write a description of this kind of joy? How could I explain that nothing else in the world matters when my son giggles? That the stress of my day actually starts to melt away when my boys laugh together? That my heart grows bigger when that sound drifts down the hall? That I just quite simply want to bottle that emotion and save it for later?
Emotions, I think, are hard to describe. They’re subjective and personal and beautiful. And different things make each of us happy. It’s this amazing part of the human experience. It feels like it should be easy, but when you’re describing that isn’t tangible — that has no shape or color or texture — it’s hard.
So, today’s writing prompt is: Describe what happiness feels like.
You could try to use a single-sentence metaphor or simile to capture it. Or you could craft a short paragraph. Or it might take you a few hundred words.
But try to think about something that gives you unspeakable joy — and then speak about it.
It’s not easy, I know. But that’s what it’s an oh-so-good exercise in descriptive writing.
Now, go write.