True Joy

"True joy is the nearest which we have of heaven, it is the treasure of the soul, and therefore should be laid in a safe place, and nothing in this world is safe to place it in." - John Donne

If you haven't noticed, I am a bit of geek when it comes to little nuggets of wisdom in the form of quotes. I keep a journal and every time I stumble across words that speak to me I jot them down. This particular quote is one that I find to be so true.

True joy is such a gift and some days it's seems hard to find it. I always know it's in me and now that I have Jeff and Max, it's predominant in my life. But let's be realistic...there are some bad days. When your days are so overwhelming with work or when you have things in your life that pile up because you just don't seem to have enough time in a day to get everything accomplished, it can be tough to realize your joy. But joy is about as good as it gets.

That feeling of floating above everything, your heart soaring and there are no words to accurately capture those moments. That joy that can bring tears to your eyes that is beyond your control. I am now a firm believer in the words of Victor Hugo: "Joy's smile is much more close to tears than it is to laughter".

This type of joy seems new to me but how amazing it is. The day I got married and the day Max was born where two of the most recent and potent examples of this type of joy. Elation is close to describing it, I guess. It still feels grossly inadequate for what is conjured up within me when reflecting on these days. I embrace all the days ahead and all of life's moments that will provide this kind of joy in my life.

This true joy is attributed to God, Jeff, Max, my family and friends. I just want to thank them all for all of the joy and happiness and hope they realize the impact they have in my life. My cup overfloweth!