Happy Enough

“Are you happy Stephen?”
That’s what Dr. Strange gets asked, all dressed up at Christine’s wedding. For a second, you can see it hits him-he smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He’s saved the world, sure, but happiness? That’s a different kind of magic. Even a superhero can feel a little lost, especially when the party’s over and he’s left with his own thoughts. Sometimes, happiness is just a moment, not the whole story.

“So, are you happy?”
It’s the kind of question that floats around at late-night dinners, between bites of pizza or sips of lukewarm tea. There’s always someone who asks, and someone who shrugs.

“Happy? I mean, I’m not exactly skipping down the street, but I’m not hiding under my bed either,” you might say, half-laughing.

Your friend grins. “Sounds about right. Nobody’s skipping. Not in this weather.”

The truth is, nobody’s waiting for fireworks every morning. “Happy enough” is more like waking up and not dreading the day. It’s finding yourself humming in the shower once in a while, or at least not arguing with your reflection.

You might catch yourself thinking, “I could go out tonight, or I could just stay in and watch that weird documentary.” And either way, you’re fine.
Your phone buzzes.
“Wanna grab a coffee?”
You check your mood. Meh, why not.

Later, over mugs that don’t match, your friend leans in, whispering, “So, you seeing anyone?”
You roll your eyes. “Not really looking, but… I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind meeting someone who laughs at the same dumb memes.”
“That’s basically romance these days,” they say, grinning.

You both laugh, because it’s true.
Nobody’s out here searching for someone to fix them. You’re just hoping for someone who’ll split fries and maybe not mind your off-key singing.

And when things go sideways-because sometimes they do-you’re not crushed. Maybe you text a friend, maybe you take a walk, maybe you just shrug and say, “Well, that was a thing.”

But here’s the quiet part:
You don’t step into a relationship because you’re already perfectly happy and want to keep it that way. You step up because you’re ready to grow, to see what happens when your story overlaps with someone else’s. Maybe you’ll learn something, maybe you’ll mess up, maybe you’ll laugh a lot. But you know-deep down-that your happiness is still yours. The other person can’t take it away, and they can’t gift it to you, either.

So, next time someone asks, “Are you happy?”
Maybe you’ll just smile and say, “Happy enough.”
And that’s more than enough for whatever comes next.

Maybe Dr. Strange knows.