Being Joyful . . .

Joy comes in so many packages. Sometimes it can be found in the laughter of a child, two kittens playing, watching the sunlight kiss the morning sky, or even in the simple act of letting a small piece of truly great chocolate melt on your tongue. Yesterday though I witnessed joy that touched my heart, brought a smile to my face, and filled me with a happiness that was just as simple as the moment.

I had some time to waste between appointments yesterday, so I stopped at our market to get a few things for dinner, and with still more time to kill, I got myself a cup of soup and an iced tea and sat down to read my book for a few minutes while I ate my snack. At the table next to mine, facing me, was a very elderly man,dressed to the ear lobes in a navy blue puffy parka, one of those winter hats with the furry flaps that come down over the ears and forehead and tiny spectacles perched on the end of his nose, empty plate in front of him from the meal he'd eaten, book clasped in hands gnarled with age and decades of hard work. Perfectly ordinary in every way, except for the fact that his face, wrinkled and carrying the story of his life, captivated my attention and held it. He was completely engrossed in his book. Try as I might I couldn't see who the author was, but apparently it was one that this man liked an awful lot. Every few moments he would begin to chuckle, a deep, gut rolling chuckle that bubbled up from deep inside of him, as his imagination took hold of whatever it was that he was reading in his book. While he read a tiny little brown bird hopped into the store from outside, and flew up onto his table, inching ever closer to his empty plate, apparently as interested in this man's enjoyment of his book as I was. Ok, he was probably more interested in the plate, but my own imagination was involved by this point. Suddenly the man looked up at me, with eyes of deep, stormy grey, framed by lines etched by years of smiles and dancing with humor, grinned a partially toothless grin at me, said "GREAT BOOK!" and went back to his reading and chuckling.

My heart overflowed with the such happiness at that moment, my emotions deeply affected by the joy this man showed so openly. In this life of running back and forth, always hurrying, the stresses and frustration dragging us down, giving a downward turn to what used to be our smiles, our laughter silenced, or at least hushed, at all the responsibility driving us to our goals, we forget that we NEED the joy, we NEED to allow our imaginations to take flight, and we NEED to share that with others around us, even in such a seemingly small way as laughing out loud.

When was the last time you were completely joyful? If you can't remember, go find some happiness, create some joy, and immerse yourself in it. You'll live longer, and perhaps in your quest you'll make someone else happy too. Of everything I ever thought I knew, keeping joy in mind and heart is one of the most important.