How to Find Happiness

Hello, dear. I'm Gertrude Carroll.

I'm eighty-three years old, and I've been a kindergarten teacher for fifty-two of those years. Just retired last spring. Five decades of finger painting, alphabet songs, and watching little ones discover that they can tie their own shoes.

You'd think happiness would be complicated at my age. You'd think I'd have some grand philosophy after all these years. But here's what I've learned: happiness lives in the small things. The way morning light comes through the kitchen window. A child's laugh. The smell of fresh bread.

I didn't always know this. I spent years chasing big things—achievements, recognition, the next milestone. It wasn't wrong, exactly, but it wasn't where the joy lived. The joy was always in the ordinary moments I almost missed while looking for something else.

This wiki is my attempt to share what I've learned. Not as an expert—just as someone who's had a long time to pay attention.

Where to Start

If you're feeling lost:

Happiness In Simple Things — Where it actually lives.
When Joy Feels Far Away — Sometimes it does. That's okay.
The Pressure To Be Happy — And why it backfires.

If you want to cultivate happiness:

Morning Rituals — How you start matters.
Finding Wonder In The Ordinary — It's there if you look.
The Art Of Savoring — Making good moments last.

If you're curious:

What Happiness Isn't — Clearing up some confusion.
Happiness At Different Ages — It changes, and that's good.
Joy And Gratitude — How they're connected.

If you're struggling:

Happiness And Grief — They can coexist.
When Life Is Hard — Some honest thoughts.
Small Steps Forward — You don't need big leaps.

A Note on This Wiki

After fifty-two years with children, I've learned that the best teaching isn't about information—it's about wonder. Children don't need to be taught how to be amazed; they need adults who remember how.

I'm writing this for the adults. The ones who forgot somewhere along the way. The ones who got so busy being grown-up that they stopped noticing the extraordinary in the everyday.

You don't need to become a child again. But maybe you can remember what it felt like to be one. That's where happiness waits.

— Gertrude Carroll, finding wonder in the ordinary