happiness

WalletHub ranked all 50 states for happiness, and Illinois didn’t make the top 20. See where we landed and how we compare to our Midwest neighbors.

Here's an unscientific observation. My wife lived in Madison, Wisconsin for a period of time, but was not necessarily that happy. That lone fact has not stopped the city from just being named one of the happiest cities in the entire world.

I'm not trying to be a cynic, but I must admit that I was somewhat surprised by this. Illinois has just been named one of the happiest states in America. It's apparently all sunshine and roses in the Land of Lincoln - allegedly.

When it comes to being happy, that's often a very difficult feeling to measure.

Has living in Illinois got you down? Do you have to explain to others why you live here? Do you wonder where on the scale of happiness Illinois lands?

Do you need another reason to eat bacon? Besides the fact that it's the single best tasting food on the planet. No? Well neither do I, but here's a great one anyway.

The answer to that question is...well, kinda yes and kinda no. When it comes to our country's happiest states, Illinois comes down solidly...in the middle.

There's just something special about a baby's smile. As a parent myself, I know that even the slightest of smiles from your little one is enough to burn away the stress of the day. This video shows little Piper, who, at first, does not appear to welcome the idea of wearing her new glasses...