All of us want to be happy all the time, don’t we? I wish the same for myself, and even more so, I constantly wish that my daughters are always happy.

But let’s pause for a moment. There are six basic flavors in food, sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent, and pungent. Imagine having meals with only one flavor for the rest of your life. Let’s say just sweets. Sounds unbearable, right? A satisfying meal is one that blends all flavors in the right balance.

Life is the same. It’s a mix of emotions, love, laughter, sorrow, anger, courage, fear, disgust, wonder, and peace. In our culture, we call them the Navarasa, the nine essential emotions of human experience.

I realized recently how obsessed I had become with making sure my daughters were always smiling. I would scan their faces for any sign of sadness or anger. If they seemed even slightly off, I would get upset. Then I would demand that they cheer up. Naturally, this made them feel worse. The more upset they became, the more anxious I felt—and we were both stuck in a cycle that neither of us could explain.

How ridiculous that sounds when I think about it now! Imagine laughing while someone is sharing their pain or being scolded—how inappropriate it would seem. Emotions have their time and space. It is absolutely normal to cry after a failure, to be angry at someone who hurt you, or to feel scared about something uncertain. Just as it’s beautiful to smile in joy and laugh in moments of delight.

What matters is not the absence of these emotions but the ability to move through them. Are we able to return to the present moment? Can we allow ourselves to feel deeply and then let go?

This applies to all of us. It’s okay to be sad sometimes, to feel fear or anger. Cry if you need to. Let yourself feel it. But don’t linger in those emotions for too long—let them pass without turning into permanent pain.

Especially as parents, let’s remember this: our children need to experience the full range of emotions to grow resilient. If we teach them that only happiness is acceptable, we unknowingly set them up for shame, guilt, or inadequacy every time they feel low. By giving them permission to feel, we prepare them for the highs and lows that life will inevitably bring. They learn to value life, not just in joy but also in pain.

So yes, just like food, life is meant to be tasted in all its flavors. Enjoy the sweet, the bitter, and everything in between. Embrace the navarasas of life.

What emotional flavors have been most dominant in your life recently? Have you allowed yourself to fully feel and release them?