--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s okay,” I tell her. “It is okay to be…" description: "\"“It’s okay,” I tell her. “It is okay to be happy”\" — David Levithan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/david-levithan-67_david-levithan_it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-ha_2756241.jpg" --- # It’s okay,” I tell her. “It is okay to be happy ![“It’s okay,” I tell her. “It is okay to be happy” quote by David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/david-levithan-67_david-levithan_it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-ha_2756241.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/david-levithan-67_david-levithan_it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-ha_2756241.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/david-levithan-67_david-levithan_it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-ha_2756241.jpg) > ““It’s okay,” I tell her. “It is okay to be happy”” [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Offering reassurance that happiness is permissible, encouraging self‑acceptance of joy. **In simple terms:** It’s okay to be happy. Key Takeaway Allow yourself happiness. Themes self‑acceptance mental health validation Mood supportive gentle Type emotional motivational When to use this quote - therapy - self‑help - daily affirmations - relationships Key Concepts psychology well‑being Questions to Reflect On - What blocks your happiness? - How can you sustain joy? A Different Perspective Happiness may be fleeting without addressing root causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [David-levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/david-levithan/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Okay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay/) [Okay Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay-happy-751394/) [Okay Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay-tell-487632/) [Quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quote/) [Tell Okay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-okay-859754/) ## Related quotes > [Say something…its okay ...u can tell me how you feel...cus I'm here for you …and I want you to know that you can tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-johnson/say-something-its-okay-u-can-tell-me-how-you-feel-cus-i-m-here-for/) [Natalya Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-johnson/) > [Just once, when I say 'oh, I'm fine' I want someone to look me in the eye and say 'Okay. Now tell the truth.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-once-when-i-say-oh-i-m-fine-i-want-someone-to-look-me-in-the-eye/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you like me, its okay to tell me. If you dont, STOP ACTING LIKE YOU DO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie/if-you-like-me-its-okay-to-tell-me-if-you-dont-stop-acting-like-you-do/) [Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie/) > [“boundbydad: and, so you meanwhile, no bid saturday night plans? more quality time with mom? grayscale: you, my dear, are my saturday night plans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/boundbydad-and-so-you-meanwhile-no-bid-saturday-night-plans-more/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“That's the law I've set down for myself--don't disrupt the life you're living in. Leave it as close to the same as you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/that-s-the-law-i-ve-set-down-for-myself-don-t-disrupt-the-life-you-re/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When we embrace, one of us is always holding the other a little tighter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-we-embrace-one-of-us-is-always-holding-the-other-a-little-tighter/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I want to argue with her, tell her that "sins of the flesh" is just a control mechanism-if you demonize a person's pleasure, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-want-to-argue-with-her-tell-her-that-sins-of-the-flesh-is-just-a/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“is that what relationships become? A reduced version of the hurt, nothing else let in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/is-that-what-relationships-become-a-reduced-version-of-the-hurt-2/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“why do you have to fix the salad? who broke it? i didn't touch it. did you break the salad, mom? if you did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/why-do-you-have-to-fix-the-salad-who-broke-it-i-didn-t-touch-it-did/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“He’s a fuckup, but he’s my fuckup,” and I thought, Oh, shit, I really shouldn’t be relating to this, but I am, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/he-s-a-fuckup-but-he-s-my-fuckup-and-i-thought-oh-shit-i-really/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You can find sorrow in the arithmetic, and you can find a bittersweet hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-can-find-sorrow-in-the-arithmetic-and-you-can-find-a-bittersweet/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The spot was empty. Empty but not void. Void is when there is absolutely nothing there and the nothing is natural, a complete vacuum.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-spot-was-empty-empty-but-not-void-void-is-when-there-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I don't have the heart to tell him that's the wrong way to think about the world. There will always be more questions Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-don-t-have-the-heart-to-tell-him-that-s-the-wrong-way-to-think/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Love is love. I have never fallen in love with a gender. I have fallen for individuals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/love-is-love-i-have-never-fallen-in-love-with-a-gender-i-have-fallen/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i have no idea what truth has to do with love, and vice versa. i’m not even thinking in terms of love here. it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-have-no-idea-what-truth-has-to-do-with-love-and-vice-versa-i-m-not/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More by David Levithan > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The past and the future are what's complicated. It's the present that's simple. And the simplicity is the sensation of it being just her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-past-and-the-future-are-what-s-complicated-it-s-the-present-that/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I hate the way you talk to me And the way you cut your hair I hate the way you drive my car I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-hate-the-way-you-talk-to-me-and-the-way-you-cut-your-hair-i-hate/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [You could be the leaf that never falls from the tree you could be the sun that never leaves the sky this might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-could-be-the-leaf-that-never-falls-from-the-tree-you-could-be-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Patrick: Is she worth the trouble? Cameron: I thought she was- Patrick: Either she is, or she isn't. So give it a shot, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/patrick-is-she-worth-the-trouble-cameron-i-thought-she-was-patrick/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“We saw our friends die. But we also see our friends live. So many of them live, and we often toast their long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/we-saw-our-friends-die-but-we-also-see-our-friends-live-so-many-of/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [maybe tonight you're scared of falling, and maybe there's somebody here or somewhere else you're thinking about, worrying over, fretting over, trying to figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/maybe-tonight-you-re-scared-of-falling-and-maybe-there-s-somebody/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“You never told me what you saw in him, not convincingly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-never-told-me-what-you-saw-in-him-not-convincingly/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“i nod to the other will grayson, up onstage. he nods to me. we have something between us, him and me. but the truth?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-nod-to-the-other-will-grayson-up-onstage-he-nods-to-me-we-have/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The terrorists-those nineteen people, with hundreds or maybe thousands behind them-did the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But tens of millions people did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-terrorists-those-nineteen-people-with-hundreds-or-maybe-thousands/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [But I still has enough longing for that concept that I didn't want to dispel it completely. Meaning: I didn't want to tell Lily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/but-i-still-has-enough-longing-for-that-concept-that-i-didn-t-want-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When you break someone's heart, you also break yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-break-someone-s-heart-you-also-break-yours/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Because toward the end all the words started leaving. Except for the ones that had to lock up at the end of the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/because-toward-the-end-all-the-words-started-leaving-except-for-the/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“ misgivings , n . Last night, I got up the courage to ask you if you regretted us. "There are things I miss,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/misgivings-n-last-night-i-got-up-the-courage-to-ask-you-if-you/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“Saving others is always more important than saving yourself. It has to be, or none of us would do any good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/saving-others-is-always-more-important-than-saving-yourself-it-has-to/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Explore all 1,648 David Levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) ## More David-levithan quotes > [“What I'm trying to say is that I spent the last four months learning to be alone, avoiding the world, hating pretty much anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/what-i-m-trying-to-say-is-that-i-spent-the-last-four-months-learning/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [“i have no idea what truth has to do with love, and vice versa. i’m not even thinking in terms of love here. it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-have-no-idea-what-truth-has-to-do-with-love-and-vice-versa-i-m-not/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“this is what i never allow myself to need. and of course i've been needing it all along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan-john-green/this-is-what-i-never-allow-myself-to-need-and-of-course-i-ve-been/) [David Levithan John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan-john-green/) > [“Love is love. I have never fallen in love with a gender. I have fallen for individuals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/love-is-love-i-have-never-fallen-in-love-with-a-gender-i-have-fallen/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I don't have the heart to tell him that's the wrong way to think about the world. There will always be more questions Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-don-t-have-the-heart-to-tell-him-that-s-the-wrong-way-to-think/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“The spot was empty. Empty but not void. Void is when there is absolutely nothing there and the nothing is natural, a complete vacuum.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/the-spot-was-empty-empty-but-not-void-void-is-when-there-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? Tiny shouts in my ear, and I want to say, "Hopefully, go find a guy who knows there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/what-am-i-going-to-do-tiny-shouts-in-my-ear-and-i-want-to-say/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“You can find sorrow in the arithmetic, and you can find a bittersweet hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-can-find-sorrow-in-the-arithmetic-and-you-can-find-a-bittersweet/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“He’s a fuckup, but he’s my fuckup,” and I thought, Oh, shit, I really shouldn’t be relating to this, but I am, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/he-s-a-fuckup-but-he-s-my-fuckup-and-i-thought-oh-shit-i-really/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“why do you have to fix the salad? who broke it? i didn't touch it. did you break the salad, mom? if you did,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/why-do-you-have-to-fix-the-salad-who-broke-it-i-didn-t-touch-it-did/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“is that what relationships become? A reduced version of the hurt, nothing else let in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/is-that-what-relationships-become-a-reduced-version-of-the-hurt-2/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“I want to argue with her, tell her that "sins of the flesh" is just a control mechanism-if you demonize a person's pleasure, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-want-to-argue-with-her-tell-her-that-sins-of-the-flesh-is-just-a/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“When we embrace, one of us is always holding the other a little tighter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-we-embrace-one-of-us-is-always-holding-the-other-a-little-tighter/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“That's the law I've set down for myself--don't disrupt the life you're living in. Leave it as close to the same as you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/that-s-the-law-i-ve-set-down-for-myself-don-t-disrupt-the-life-you-re/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [“boundbydad: and, so you meanwhile, no bid saturday night plans? more quality time with mom? grayscale: you, my dear, are my saturday night plans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/boundbydad-and-so-you-meanwhile-no-bid-saturday-night-plans-more/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) [Browse all 35 David-levithan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/david-levithan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s okay,” I tell her. “It is okay to be happy”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Levithan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-happy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "David-levithan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-happy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/david-levithan-67_david-levithan_it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-ha_2756241.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/david-levithan-67_david-levithan_it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-ha_2756241.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/david-levithan-67_david-levithan_it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-ha_2756241.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It’s okay,” I tell her. “It is okay to be happy” — David Levithan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Levithan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It’s okay,” I tell her. “It...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-happy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-okay-i-tell-her-it-is-okay-to-be-happy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```