We are home on vacation to Canada. It’s so nice to be here with my kids and be back in my hometown seeing friends and family. It’s also hard, because my mom passed away almost 2 years ago and so home is just not the same and never will be. It’s good, but different. Last summer when we visited, I was so relieved to not be in the hospital. This summer, her absence is more noticeable and some parts of being home make me sad at how much things have changed since I’ve been away. But also there is so much joy and comfort at being back in familiar surroundings, around people who have known me for two decades or more. Whether joyful or sad, home is filled with love and peace.
What is joy?
Joy is an inner happiness, peace, and contentment. It is different from fun. Fun is a happiness that comes from outside yourself, while joy is a happiness that comes from within. When you are filled with joy, you can make any job enjoyable. Even when things in your life are difficult or not as you’d like them to be – a joy-filled inner life will help you see the positives in every situation and bring you peace and hope as you go through hard days.
This year we read some books featuring joyful characters. I think joyfulness is different from happiness…so these are characters who are happy but also content and have an inner peace and appreciation for their lives.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
In the Snowy Day, Peter goes out for a joyful adventure in the snow.
“Alfie and Mum go to the River” in Alfie Weather by Shirley Hughes
Alfie and Mum go to the River is one of my favourite Alfie stories. It tells the story of Alfie and his mom relaxing with their feet in the water, just talking and spending time together. It’s such a simple scene and some of my most joy-filled memories with my kids are just the same – a peaceful moment by a flowing body of water in nature.
Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis
Nothing stops Ladybug Girl’s zest for life! She reminds me of my daughter who is always ready for an adventure and who turns frowns upside down.
Lucy and Tom At the Seaside by Shirley Hughes
I love how this story captures what a casual day at the beach is like. It doesn’t have to be a whole to-do with a million objects carted down to the seashore. This book has given my kids lots of ideas of what to do and how to play at the beach. The kids in this story find joy in what they have, not frustration at what they don’t have.
Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman
I love the infectious joy of his grandpa as he tells his grandchildren of his previous life as a singer and a dancer.
What joyful things do you have planned this summer? Who are some joyful characters you have come across in your readings?
Warmly,
-Heather
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