Brighten Your Day

Real People Recall The Moments That Brought Them The Purest Joy

August 27, 2025

Someone recently asked online: “What’s the purest joy you’ve ever felt without intimacy, substances, or alcohol?”

The responses came flooding in—some deeply personal, some beautifully simple, and all of them relatable. These moments remind us that joy often comes in the little things and the connections we make, not from anything money can buy.

1. I had never seen fireflies in real life but got to see them when my daughter was five. I wish I had a picture of my daughter’s face when we had one flashing and crawling up my shirt. She had every emotion you can have from awe to fright all in one. We got to experience it together for the first time. If my memory starts to fade I hope that one is last to go!

2. Me and my brother were dirt poor, but we saved up enough money for a McFlurry. We were at the McDonalds door counting up our coins to make sure we had enough. I went in, payed for the McFlurry with exact change, the person at the register saw my brother waiting outside by the door, she handed me two. It felt like Christmas.

3. Hearing my wife was cured of cancer. Those words will forever be engraved in my memory and associated with pure joy.

4. My cat once came to me all the way from across the house, sat on my stomach and fell asleep. Out of all the much more comfortable places in the house, he chose me.

5. When my parents were on the verge of separation I was very sad for a whole week and I was just trying to process how our lives are going to change forever. One evening my mom, my sis and I were talking about this whole mess and at the exact moment my father opened the door and there was awkward silence because mom and dad weren't talking at all. Suddenly everyone laughed at the awkwardness of the situation and that's when it hit me that "this is probably the last time we are laughing as a family of 4..."

I tried to sort of record this moment in my mind forever so I can remember it when they separate. While laughing I burst into tears because I felt pure joy and peace I was missing for the past week and that day I understood the value of having a loving family. Luckily my parents didn't separate and things are better now.

6. The day my rescue dog laid her head on me to fall asleep after 2 years of work to help her.

7. Being a teenager and driving your car down a country road blasting music knowing you are free.

8. The day my niece, who had just learned to talk, saw me walk in the door and screamed my name before running up to hug me. Zero agenda, zero conditions.. just pure joy from someone happy I existed.

9. For me, it was watching a sunrise on a quiet morning—just the colors, the stillness, and knowing the world was waking up. Pure, simple joy.

10. Fresh cool sheets on my bed with the windows open in the fall for a mid-day nap!

What can we conclude?

Pure joy often shows up in the simplest moments—a child’s hug, a pet’s trust, a sunrise, or even fresh sheets on a crisp fall day. These small, unexpected experiences remind us that happiness doesn’t have to be big to be unforgettable.