Sunshine poured into the windows of a grand house where a very cheerful family lived.

Mr. Thistlewick, the papa, stretched his arms wide at the breakfast table. "Ah!" he declared, "I must be the happiest man in the world! My business is booming, we have plenty of everything, and look at my wonderful family!"

Mrs. Thistlewick, the mama, chuckled. "Oh, my dear, *I* am surely the happiest! I have a kind husband like you, and our children are healthy and full of laughter. What more could I ask for?"

Just then, young Leo and Mia, their children, burst into the room. "No, no!" cried Leo, "We are the happiest! We have so many toys, and today we get to build a giant fort in the garden!"
"Yes!" agreed Mia, "And Cook is making cookies! Being a kid is the best!"

Even the people who helped around the house joined in.
"Well," said Clara the cook, stirring a pot that smelled delicious, "I think *I'm* the happiest. Making tasty food that everyone enjoys brings me such joy!"
"And I," rumbled George the coachman, who had just come in for a cup of tea, "am happiest when my horses are trotting along smoothly, and I see the smiles on your faces when we go for a ride."

Everyone was talking at once, each quite sure they were the happiest person alive.

Just then, there was a gentle knock at the kitchen door. Mrs. Thistlewick opened it to find a little old woman standing there. She was very plainly dressed, looked quite tired, and leaned on a simple wooden stick. But her eyes, though old, had a kind sparkle.

"Please, come in," said Mrs. Thistlewick kindly. "Would you like some warm tea?"

The old woman smiled gratefully and sat down. The family, still buzzing with their happy debate, told her what they had been discussing.
"So, dear woman," said Mr. Thistlewick with a smile, "who do you think is the happiest of us all?"

The old woman sipped her tea slowly. She looked at each of them – the wealthy papa, the loving mama, the playful children, the proud cook, and the cheerful coachman.
Then, with a soft, peaceful smile, she said, "You are all very blessed, and your happiness is lovely to see. But if you ask me who is the happiest... I believe it is me."

Everyone stared. "You?" asked Leo, surprised. "But... you don't have a big house or lots of toys."

The old woman nodded. "That is true, little one. I don't have much money, and my old bones ache sometimes. But every morning when I wake up, I thank God for another day. The sun shines for me, the birds sing their songs for me, and kind people like you offer me tea. I know that God loves me, and that He has a beautiful plan for me. This fills my heart with a quiet, steady joy that nothing can take away. So, yes, I believe I am the happiest."

The big, sunny room became very quiet. Mr. and Mrs. Thistlewick, Leo and Mia, Clara the cook, and George the coachman all looked at the little old woman. They had many wonderful things and many reasons to be happy. But the old woman had a special kind of happiness, a happiness that glowed from the inside, no matter what she had or didn't have.

And from that day on, they all thought a little differently about what it truly meant to be the happiest.

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