I am brimming with joy and pride.

Pride has a public reputation and a private life, and the private one is better.

The email you had been circling for eleven days, finally sent at four on a Thursday. Nobody knew about the eleven days. Nobody congratulated you. But something in your chest went loose for the rest of the afternoon.

Those are the ones worth counting, because you are the only witness and you know exactly what they cost. Joy that survives having no audience is the durable kind, and most people have more of it on hand than they have bothered to tally.