The happiness of having visitors again

By the time you're reading this on Saturday, I'll be enjoying something I haven't experienced in a while: a visitor!

Throughout the pandemic, our socializing has either been distanced or nonexistent altogether. But now with vaccines, it's possible for people to see each other more easily and even travel to do so (based on your own comfort level, of course). 

That's why I'm so excited to be able to open my home to my vaccinated loved ones and embrace them again after so much distance. 

Seeing friends and family not only brings joy in the moment, but it also allows us to make new, shared memories – something that mostly happened through Zoom parties or commiserating phone calls last year. 

Now with more freedom in being together safely, we can make memories in real life with quality meal times and game nights. That sounds so normal in the best way, right?

There's also something super fulfilling about showing a loved one some of your favorite places when they come to visit. Whether it's the best bakery on your street or your favorite food spot in the neighborhood, sharing these parts of your life is a simple way of showing love.

So whether you're expecting your own visitors soon or are just looking to spark some joy, I hope you find some happiness this weekend in the wonderful little things.

Awe makes us happier, healthier and humbler

Speaking of the feelings of joy and excitement that visitors bring, another emotion we could all use some more of is awe.

We think of awe as an emotion reserved for the most extraordinary moments – summiting a mountain, the birth of a child, an exquisite live performance. But researchers who study awe say the emotion shouldn't be associated only with rare events, my colleague Alia E. Dastagir writes. Daily experiences of awe, they argue, should be a regular part of the way we engage with the world. 

"Big moments that people have in their lives are going to produce awe, but what a lot of recent research is showing is that even those more everyday experiences of awe – just briefly noticing the beauty of nature in our neighborhood or in our backyard – those can have a positive effect on our well-being," said Craig Anderson, a researcher at Washington University in St. Louis who has studied awe in nature.

Researchers say awe has a range of emotional, social and physiological health benefits. Awe is shown to make us happier and contribute to greater life satisfaction, to make us care more about other people and to increase our humility.

Research has shown awe can make us think more critically, expand our perception of time and lead to less materialism. Anderson has done work showing awe can help at-risk populations, including young people from underserved communities and military veterans, cope with PTSD symptoms and stress. 

Want to learn how to add more awe to your life? Read Alia's full story here.

Today's reads

• Whether you think Crocs are cool or cringeworthy, they're having a major moment this summer. Here's why. 
• Skinny shaming is real. But here's why experts warn against comparing it to fat shaming.
• Jessie Ware is the underrated pop star you need to know right now, according to our music writer Patrick Ryan. 
• Looking for a less-crowded vacation destination? Here's why you should consider a "second city" trip.
• Four tricks that 50-somethings can leverage to retire early.

Today's pet

Meet Cash.

"This is Cash," writes Julie. "He recently had surgery and I had to share this photo because he is just so adorable in his onesie."

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