Director of Spiritual Care Jim Andrews
I subscribe to the “Happiness” theme on a news app on my phone. It posts scholarly research about what types of lifestyle choices bring us happiness and which do not. These scholarly articles are joined by testimonials from people who are in hot pursuit of happiness, eager to share their insights.
Some of the best teachers when it comes to happiness, however, are children. Kids always seem to make room for joy. They can become delighted with nothing more than a dollar store beach ball, a couple of water blasters, and a swimming pool. Brene Brown put it this way,
Joy comes to us in ordinary moments. We risk missing out when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.
What a wonderful thought. Hidden amongst the moments of our everyday interactions are opportunities to experience joy. May we have the eyes to see and the open heart to receive the joy that this day can bring.
Have a great week, everyone!
JIm
My husband and I have an orphanage in Uganda. We have always been amazed at how much joy the kids there get out of ordinary balloons. Most of them have never had a toy they didn’t make themselves out of sticks and grass or maybe some scraps of cloth. They can turn plain old balloons into a laughing, shrieking riot of fun.