JOY

I must admit I am enjoying this blogging thing. Perhaps it is because I am new to it, or maybe I have found I enjoy writing some of my thoughts down. I am not a "diary" or "journal" type of gal...this is as close to it as I'm going to get.

JOY is one of my favorite words in the world. When we were expecting our daughter and were kicking around names, Mark mentioned the girls name Summer. Right off the bat I had a middle name picked out - JOY! Not only was JOY always one of my favorite words, it was also after my mom, JOYce, and I wished it had been my middle name too (sorry Dad...Sue is nice too.)

My question to pose to you today is "What brings you JOY?" As you can see by Summer Joy's face above, she gets a ton of joy hanging out with C., our neighbor boy. These two were born only days apart, in different towns, by different parents, yet could certainly be twins. Whenever they see each other they are full of JOY! Whether they look out the window and see the other outside, bike together, jump on the trampoline together, or just sit snug eating a s'more on the 4th of July. Oh, to have that joy all the time!

I am my father's daughter - I find alot of my joy very much in nature, God's creation. I love going for long walks outside. I am in awe of the blue color of the sky on a clear sunny day, the sound of the birds singing, and how delicate and beautiful the various flowers are. Another big joy-bringer for me is the sound of "Mom". After trying 4 years and thinking we'd never have children, hearing my two blessings call me "Mom" is a HUGE joy for me. (I'll admit, "Mom" when said by two children at the same time, about a dozen times or so, sucks the joy right out of it!) So, what about you? Does a corn field that is way past "knee high by the 4th of July" bring you joy? How about that certain knowing glance from your mate or a late-night talk where you really connect? Any chocolate lovers out there? That's been known to bring me joy a time or two...especially when it covers ice cream.

The next time life's joy-suckers hit like: bills, sick kids, telemarketers, an unhappy boss or customer, etc. try to get back to what brings you joy. Life is to short to not have it abundantly. As for now, I might try a few of Summer & C.'s tricks on the trampoline, under tonights sunny blue sky, while hearing "Mom" and let the JOY wash over me.