I was watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as I do every year when I started to think, we have the Grinch all wrong. I think he was happy before he returned his heart grew three sizes that day.
Now here is my argument for the Grinch’s happiness.
First, he chose to live alone. He wasn’t exiled from Whoville, he was gone by choice. When people choose to live alone, it’s usually because they are happier when they are alone. Sometimes, being around others is just physically and emotionally draining. It was for me for a long time.
But the Grinch wasn’t really alone, was he?
No, he lived with his dog who seemed to enjoy the Grinch’s companionship. Dog who are abused are generally aggressive or timid towards people. The Grinch’s dog seems neither.
We also see images of Mr. Grinch smiling and engaging with hobbies like sewing.
Do all these things make the Grinch seems mean?
Sure, he did steal all Christmas from Whoville. Maybe he didn’t understand the different way the Who’s could be happy.
Have you ever judged someone by saying, “what do they have to be happy about? They’re poor and they work at a terrible place.”
We can’t know how others find joy in life unless we ask them. We can only ever know what gives us joy in life. Even then, we might not understand why those things give us joy.
Know that we can find joy all around and it’s always a little different for each of us. Sometimes, the things that gives us joy change. Things that made us happy once before may make us miserable now. You should never stop looking for your joys.