Holidays and birthdays ramp up our happiness expectations to often unattainably high levels: to happiness with an uppercase "H" befitting the greeting card stanzas. When the tinsel and streamers come down, it's only understandable that our happiness meters need resetting. Our return to routine is a chance to recommit to everyday happiness and grab it in its lowercase forms.

Being alone doesn't necessarily mean being lonely, just as being around people doesn't automatically erase loneliness. Worn-out marriages. Friendships where we wait and wait to be asked "And how are you?" and acknowledged as owning a heartbeat. Crowded gatherings where everybody is feeling some "belong" vibe that has apparently skipped us over.