“Happiness held is the seed. Happiness shared is the flower”

“Happiness held is the seed. Happiness shared is the flower” is an inspirational saying that has been printed on many images. The saying was printed in books from 1968 and 1992, and is of unknown authorship.
 
John Harrigan is often mistakenly given as the author, but that is probably explained by this poorly spaced entry on the newsgroup alt.flame.bill-clinton.humor:
 
“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower-Author Unknown People need your love the most when they appear to deserve it the least.
John Harrigan”
   
     
HathiTrust Digital Library
Braude’s Source Book for Speakers and Writers
Compiled by Jacob Morton Braude
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall
1968
Pg. ?:
“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.”
       
Google Books
Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World
By Edythe Draper
Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House
1992
Pg. 300:
“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.”
 
17 November 1994, The Interior Journal (Stanford, KY), “Sara’s notes,” pg. 3, col. 1:
Thought for the week: Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.
   
15 April 1996, The Republic (Columbus, IN), “Business Spotlight,” pg. A10, col. 1 ad:
Remember, happiness is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.
(Expressions Floral Shop.—ed.)
 
May 1997, Southern Living (Birmingham, AL), “Southern almanac” by Robert Ross, pg 60:
Remember, happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.
     
Google Books
Dreams of Flower Gardens
By Hervé Desbois
Laval, Quebec: Modus Vivendi Publishing Incorporated
2000
Pg. ?:
“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.”
Anonymous
   
Google Groups: alt.flame.bill-clinton.humor
Bany Chickens and Teenagers
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
7/17/00
(...)
Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower-Author Unknown People need your love the most when they appear to deserve it the least.
John Harrigan
 
Twitter
nannette1094
@nannette1094
Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.John Harrigan
4:37 PM - 9 Jul 2009
   
Google Books
The Soul of Jewish Social Justice
By Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Jerusalem, Israel: Urim Publications
2014
Pg. 54:
Jean Racine writes: “Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.” while Pierre Corneille put it more succinctly: “Happiness seems made to be shared.”
 
Twitter
Sheltering Grace
@ShelteringGrace
”#Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.” - Anonymous #quotes
9:15 AM - 30 May 2018