Finding Happiness: Humans of New York

 As I was browsing through the “Humans of New York” articles, it was hard to pick just one to read. They are all so captivating in their own ways and all written with such great detail. The story I ended up choosing was about a woman who was reflecting back on when her mom died of cancer and all the memories she and her family had with her. 

The author states “before she passed, she told my dad that she wanted him to fall in love again.” This is a very hard thing to think about when you know you're not going to make it. I admire how her mother wanted her husband to be happy again, even with another woman after she passes. I don’t know of many women that would even be okay with the thought of this, which proves how strong of a person she really was. She clearly put her family first when times got tough for her, even when she couldn't leave the hospital.

When the author's dad started dating again after her mothers death, she wasn't happy right away. “At first I wasn’t thrilled to see him dating again. But even my fourteen-year-old brain could see that he was happier. He was smiling more, and singing again. And Tracy was so gracious. She understood grief so she did everything right. She always asked about our mom. She honored all of her birthdays and death dates. She never tried to erase her memory.” Although I haven't been through this exact situation, I completely feel for her younger self having to go through this traumatic event. I am glad that she eventually realized that she should be happy for her father finding happiness after their difficult situation, which included him finding love again. This can be hard to cope with, especially as a young teen, and is great that she also found happiness in her new family dynamic. It is nice that his new spouse was so understanding about their mothers death and how she always tried her hardest to make them feel comfortable with her.

This story reminded me of when my great grandmother had passed years ago. Even though she lived in a different state, she would come to visit us every holiday. Although I had only known her for ten short years of my life, I was very close with her and was crushed when she had passed away. But just like the author, I too found many new ways to become happy again. I stopped focusing on the fact that she was gone and started reminiscing on all the good times I had with her. I believe that the purpose of this story is to show that there can always be happiness after a traumatic experience but that finding it can take time.

https://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/641197408909443100/before-she-passed-she-told-my-dad-that-she