As I mentioned in a previous post, I am out of the office, working in the field for two weeks. While I am away, everyone and anyone is welcome to have Oreos but they have to leave a note with Kristin letting me know what makes them happy. Before Kristin took a bite of an Oreo yesterday, she emailed me to let me know that “watching my 7 year old cousin tackle the American Eagle rollercoaster at Great America for the first time” makes her happy. That would make me happy, too. I find it incredibly amazing that the older we get (and you’re not old Kristin, but talking about your little cousin made me think of this) the more joy we find in witnessing others’ happiness. After reading the transcript of George Saunders’s 2013 Syracuse University Commencement Address over the weekend, I was struck by the fact that he atriculated what I have always known…that the process of becoming kinder and more loving is gradual. His advice for the graduates was to speed the process along because the faster and earlier in life we can be nicer to each other, the better off the world will be (ew, I hate ending sentences with prepositions…please forgive me). This thought of being kinder, faster, led to a discussion between my husband and I about why it takes so long for what I will refer to as the “kindness gene” to kick in. Is it because it takes us half of our lifetime to learn that kindness really is the best way? Or is because our genetic predisposition to start lavishing kindness upon others begins to occur when we find youngsters in our lives that we want to make happy? Of this I am not sure. But what I am sure of is this – that when we pause for a moment, Oreos are everywhere – cupcakes, post race food tents, babyshowers, and even part of dinner orders when you least expect it – and Oreos are a metaphor for happiness.