The Editor,

Re: "Happiness: Not a goal, a journey," News, Oct. 15.

Recently there was an article regarding happiness in your newspaper. I would like to add an example of a recent very personally satisfying experience.

After recently reading, Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World by Craig and Marc Kielburger I was truly inspired to strive for a true happiness.

Not the happiness achieved by buying new things, but the true happiness experienced by helping others.

So I started volunteering with the Terra Nova Schoolyard Society. I had read about the amazing opportunities that Ian Lai was giving to students and I wanted to help out. What I experienced was amazing! After helping students harvest their very own soil plot, they were then given winter vegetables to plant. The students were digging, sweating and laughing. The sense of community and the satisfaction that comes with connecting with the outdoors was very present.

After the students left, we were directed to harvest. We were to all pick from one plot, about the size of a small table, that contained an enormous amount of flax seeds. Not ever seeing a flax plant before, I was very appreciative of this new experience. As the four volunteers and Ian were completing the very basic, yet life sustaining task of harvesting, we started talking.

There were no cell phones ringing, no iPods playing, and the only "distraction" from the experience was a gentleman passerby who wanted to help out. After filling a small jar and then a bucket, the feelings of true happiness were experienced. Not only because we had filled a bucket but because we had experienced true social contact, helped those in need and connected to our most simple need of food.

Thank you to Ian Lai for taking the time to provide these wonderful experiences to others!

Wendy McDonnell

Richmond