Joy

Today's gift is joy.

There is nothing I like seeing better than the emotion of happiness (joy) on my daughter's face with her smile or hearing it in her giggles.  Equally, I love seeing the sheer joy she brings to others when they see her!

There are three ways joy was given to me or to others today as a gift.  Every morning when my daughter's teacher/friend comes to be with her, she gets the biggest smile on her face and says her name with so much joy in her voice!  Over the summer, I have the privilege of being able to see her "work" and listen without her (my daughter) knowing I can hear her.  They work at her desk in her room and we still have a monitor in there so we can monitor her at night.  So when I am in my room, I can hear all their exchanges...it is amazing to hear her communicating both verbally and with her iPad.  I love hearing her communicate with her own voice as I love hearing how excited and happy she is!  She truly loves to learn!!!

Today is my grandmother's (my kids great-grandmother) birthday.  Whenever it is someone in our family's birthday we call them up to sing the birthday song.  Lucky for all of us she can pretty much say everyone's name in our family.  When we sing the birthday song, we all stop singing when we get to the part "dear" in "Happy Birthday Dear....." and we look at her...and she with so much joy in her voice she says their name loud and clear.....and then we finish the song.  No matter whose birthday it is the two seconds it took my daughter to say their name is their gift!  She is so proud of herself in these special moments where she can participate in something special with the rest of us.

This afternoon we had to bring all the campers from our last week of camp, their journals and photo collages.  When we stopped at one of my daughter's friends house she came out to the car to see us.  Without hesitation she opened the back door to see my daughter....and she does this every time we see her!  I don't know who is more joyous at that moment....my daughter for her friend, her friend for my daughter, or me for seeing the interaction between the two of them!  My daughter lights up when her friends are around and they interact with her....she loves it!  And I love how much joy she brings to them.  This one friend in particular is always thinking of ways to help my daughter, not only by raising  awareness to everyone she encounters (most recently she wore the Girl Power 2 Cure flower on her cheek to the orthodontist), but also by raising funds to help find a cure (her ideas are endless).

The emotion of great delight or happiness, caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying....is the definition of joy....and joy is exactly what I feel in my heart when others want to help my daughter. I also feel joy in my heart, knowing my daughter is making a difference in other's lives as well.

Here are some quotes for today....

Joy is a net of love, by which you can catch souls- Mother Theresa

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give- Eleanor Roosevelt

Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy; true fulfillment- Tony Robbins