Happiness is actually found in simple things, such as taking my

“Happiness is actually found in simple things, such as taking my nephew around the island by bicycle or seeing the stars at night. We go to coffee shops or see airplanes land at the airport.” Thus spoke Andrea Hirata, the storyteller of the islands, whose words arise from the heart of everyday life. In this gentle declaration lies a profound truth — that happiness is not hidden in grandeur or wealth, but in the quiet moments that breathe between the labors of the day. Like sunlight upon still water, it appears where the heart is open and the spirit unburdened. Hirata, in his humility, teaches what sages have whispered for ages: that joy is not something we pursue across oceans, but something we awaken to — here, now, in the simple things.

Hirata, born in the small village of Belitung, Indonesia, wrote from the soil of simplicity itself. His childhood was shaped not by abundance, but by wonder — the laughter of children, the scent of rain, the boundless sky over the sea. When he speaks of riding a bicycle with his nephew, of seeing the stars or watching airplanes land, he is not describing luxury, but gratitude. He reminds us that happiness is not an achievement but an awareness — a way of seeing the world with the innocence of the heart uncorrupted by ambition. In this, his words echo the wisdom of the ancients: that peace belongs to those who desire little, and joy to those who notice much.

For the world teaches us to chase what is distant — wealth, fame, possessions — yet Hirata points us back to what is near. The simple things he names — a shared cup of coffee, the night sky, the hum of an airport — are small only in appearance. In truth, they are portals into eternity, moments where the soul communes with life itself. The philosopher Epicurus, though often misunderstood, once said that the secret to happiness lies in friendship, freedom, and thought. He lived not in a palace, but in a garden. His delight was in bread, olives, and conversation. So too does Hirata invite us to his own garden — the humble, sacred world of the everyday.

Consider the story of Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer who, after achieving fame and fortune, found himself hollow within. He turned away from titles and possessions, seeking instead the joy of simplicity — working the land, sharing meals with peasants, watching his children play in the fields. In the end, he discovered that happiness was not in his novels or estates, but in the unadorned rhythm of ordinary life. So it is with Hirata. The bicycle, the stars, the laughter of a nephew — these are not distractions from happiness; they are its very substance.

Happiness, as Hirata reveals, is not the thunderclap of success but the whisper of contentment. It is the stillness of a heart that knows how to see beauty in the commonplace. The modern soul, entangled in endless striving, forgets this truth. We are trained to measure life by achievement, to mistake movement for meaning. Yet true happiness often arrives in stillness — in the sip of warm coffee, in the sound of waves, in the sight of stars at night. It is found not in the future we chase, but in the present we ignore.

This lesson is both simple and sacred: to live fully, one must return to simplicity. To walk slowly, to breathe deeply, to look with wonder upon familiar things — these are not luxuries, but necessities for the soul. The ancients called this mindfulness, the art of being awake to the miracle of existence. When Hirata rides his bicycle with his nephew, he is not merely traveling across an island; he is traveling across the landscape of the heart. Each moment, fully lived, becomes a jewel in the crown of memory.

Therefore, my children, learn from Andrea Hirata’s gentle wisdom. Seek not happiness in the towers of ambition, but in the simple things that life freely offers. Take time to walk under the stars. Share a cup of tea with someone you love. Watch the planes rise and fall, and remember that every landing, every breath, is a miracle. Let gratitude be your wealth and simplicity your throne. For when you open your eyes to the beauty of the ordinary, you will discover that you were never poor, never lacking — only unseeing.

And so, let these words be engraved upon your heart: “Happiness is found in simple things.” For in simplicity lies abundance, in stillness lies peace, and in gratitude lies the joy that neither age nor sorrow can take away. The stars that Hirata saw still shine upon you — lift your gaze, and you will see them, too.