The days that make us happy make us wise.
—John Masefield
When I first read this line by England's Poet Laureate, it 1 me. What did Masefield mean?Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the 2 was true. But his serious assurance was3 . I was deeply attracted by it.
Slowly, I seemed to 4 his meaning and realized the wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not 5 by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind 6 caused by fear.
Active happiness—not mere satisfaction or 7 —often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has 8 it. Amazingly, in your eyes, the grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the 9 of your friends are more understandable, and more forgivable.
Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your 10 vision.Nor are the 11 of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts focused on your emotional woes, your vision is cut short as though blocked by a wall. Happy, the wall12 .
Consequently, the long vision is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you—people, thoughts, emotions, pressures—are now 13 a larger scene. Everything covers a fairer 14 . Everything around you, whether it is encouraging or frustrating, no longer seems such a big deal. And here is the beginning of 15 .
