My Happy and Sad Boxes

In The Office, Season 7, Episode 13, "The Ultimatum," Michael has a "happy box" and a "sad box" prepared. It got me thinking, what would I have in a happy box to celebrate a happy occasion, and what would be in my sad box to help me cope?

• "Holiday in My Head" by Smash Mouth. This song is my anthem. The theme song to my life. Its beat is catchy, and its lyrics speak of coping with life by escaping into your own imagination. While all my rich friends go on real vacations, I can be satisfied with taking a holiday in my head.
• Steak, baked potato, and green vegetables. Nothing feels more celebratory than sitting down and eating a delicious ribeye or New York strip, a baked potato loaded with sour cream, and some broccoli, asparagus, or zucchini.
• Taro boba smoothie. Boba is quirky, not something I grew up with, and not something I have very often. Its taste (the same as Buttered Popcorn Jelly Bellies) brings a whimsical optimism to my life when I'm in a happy mood.
• Dungeons & Dragons. D&D is the outlet for my creativity, the source of many adult friendships, the aforementioned imagination escape into my mind, and a super fun game. What more can I say?
• The cinema. I never noticed until just a few years ago, but one of my very favorite pastimes is going to a movie theater, sitting in a comfy chair, and watching a movie on the big screen. Preferably with a bucket of popcorn, a tall cup of apple beer, and a box of Mike & Ikes.
• My wife. I am and always will be madly in love with my wife. She is my absolute perfect other half, and when I have something to be happy about, she's the one I always want to share it with.

• Michelle Branch. Whether it's specifically the album pictured, The Spirit Room, or any of her music, Michelle Branch's music is soothing, emotional, and full of the spirit of the 90s and early 2000s, the happiest time I can remember.
• Yellow Thai curry. What could be more comforting than tender chicken, potatoes, and carrots in a warm, spicy, creamy broth? Not many things I can think of.
• Melty chocolate chip cookies. Fresh out of the oven and sprinkled with some sea salt, chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk are decadent and delicious. I'm pretty certain they absorb trace amounts of depression in my body and help them digest.
• The library. Every time I set foot in a library, the calm atmosphere and general concentration of so many books tangibly and significantly lowers my stress. It's hard to be sad sitting in a chair reading a novel, or simply perusing books on the shelves and pondering the sheer amount of literature and stories that I could one day read.
• Pretzel Lectern. When I'm feeling worthless and discouraged, I find that looking at my past achievements can really help my mood. If I could make all those projects, design all those game mechanics, write all those stories, and draw all those doodles in the past, that means I can do it again.
• Calvin & Hobbes books. I chose to showcase The Days Are Just Packed specifically because that's when the series was in its prime, and the cover depicts yet another key to melting away my depression: memories of summer vacation as a kid.