Joy

Too often, my half-asleep brain decides to dredge up all the awful, stupid, unkind, or regrettable things I’ve done in life. But sometimes, oh, those wonderful sometimes, it reminds me of things/people/events that brought joy.

There are too many of those to write about in one short blog entry, so I’ll just tell you about a few. First one that comes to mind is the pure joy of listening to and watching a marching band. When #2 and I were married and living in Columbus, we had season tickets to the Buckeye football games. When that marching band came down the ramp and marched into the stadium, joy filled me. I was just knocked over by it. Later, Noel was in the band in high school, and I felt that same joy, over and over. Now, just a few notes from the band, any band, and my heart soars.

Does that sound silly to you? The thing about joy is, it has to catch you off guard to really have an impact. So, the joy we feel when we look at our newborn, when we marry, when we hug a parent, well, those are all expected joys. Wonderful in their own ways, but not quite the same as the joy that sneaks up and smacks you right square in the heart.

The first time I saw 4th of July fireworks over Lake Michigan was one of those times. I had seen fireworks before, but that double whammy of the lake, the sky filled with color, and the reflection of that…well, WOW!

The Lincoln Memorial did that to me, too. It’s so beautiful, so majestic…and it means so much to us as a country. I was swept away by it.

All this is to say, look for that joy…we can’t just worry, fret, remember the negatives; that joy was so much a part of our lives, don’t let it slip away.