ODE TO JOY

What makes you happy? Plenty of things, no doubt. We all have our preferences, whether it's baseball, gardening, music, religion, stamp collecting, cars, painting, reading, swimming or any of a bazillion things that hold people's interest to the point where they capture our affection, our out and out love. Then there's the things that everybody loves; making love, eating good food, sunny days, our families, our country and the people who we connect with in a special way who are our dear friends. These things make us all happy campers. We love them. They bring us joy.

Joy is a seldom-used word, which is sort of odd when you think of what a wonderful thing it is to experience joy. There's not even all that many expressions describing the sensation either; boundless joy, unbridled joy, pride and joy, all-encompassing joy (pretty lame, that one) and that's about it. You'd think joy would be on the tip of our tongues all the time and we'd have a thousand ways to describe it, like the Eskimos with their eighty words for snow. Or maybe its just one of those rare feelings not easily put into words (That's where I come in handy.). Sure, this can be a mean old world sometimes, and all that doom and gloom stuff, but this is not about that side of the coin. There is no one reading this who has not had their share or more of grief and disappointment and need no reminders of that. Let's talk joy!

We start out life filled with awe and wonder and having an infinite capacity to experience joy. Sticking our toes in our mouth, seeing our first butterfly, taking our first rickety steps, these were pretty joyful things for each of us. Add some vanilla ice cream and a baby is in Nirvana, ecstatic beyond comprehension. Then there were those times in childhood when a complete euphoric joy assaulted every one of our senses for no reason at all, that giddy flight of our minds and bodies that informed our little selves how very wonderful it is be alive. Those moments connected us with the incredible power of this vibrant life and made us realize that we are an important part of this big old ball of wax. As grownups we are fortunate to occasionally have this feeling revisit us out of nowhere, swooping down on our serious, earnest selves and transporting us to Joyville. What a gas!

When and why that happens is as inexplicable as it is surprising. Then again, why question it? Joy is not something to be analyzed or dissected, it is a priceless gift to be felt deeply and savored. Maybe it was that beam of sunlight that pushed its way through steel-gray mountains of clouds and shined right in your face for a couple of seconds? After that the rainy day isn't so bad after all, is it? It could have been the swaying hips of that lovely young thing who just sashayed by. Might be snippet of an old song that brings back a golden torrent of sweet memories. Who knows what makes us joyful? And who cares? Grab it with both hands and hang on for dear life.

And if you pay attention you can't help but notice that there's a lot of joy around us. Children are the most obvious suspects of course. Now put children with other children and throw in a couple of big, happy, sloppy dogs that the kids can't quite control? Well, that's completely off the measurable joy charts, not only for the peewees and the dogs but for anyone lucky enough to witness their aimless, chaotic play. Makes no sense whatsoever and that's half the joy right there. Stop and smell those roses whenever the opportunity presents itself. You won't soon forget the experience and you'll always smile about what you saw.

Everywhere you turn is joy. Next time you're in an airport with time to kill (like just about every time you're in an airport) check out the Arrivals Gate. See how people react to long-delayed homecomings, how they rush into each others arms unashamed, weeping and laughing at the same time, absolutely consumed with joy. Watch the little dances of anticipation by people as they examine each face that emerges, waiting for their person, their loved one, and when they spot them in the crowd notice the blissful light in both faces when eyes meet. And when that loved one is a soldier coming back to his or her family from the wars whole and healthy? That is simply sublime. Watch the little child triumphantly climb atop Daddy's shoulders as they go retrieve the luggage while his wife and parents and siblings cling to him desperately to remind themselves that this is real. If tears don't come to your eyes and joy for these total strangers doesn't fill your soul, you are made of stone and to be pitied.

Joy is in your own life too, everywhere you turn, if only you open your heart to receive it. Take nothing and no one for granted and marvel every day at the miracle of the people in your life and at your own life itself. The hell with what you don't have, that list will always be longer than what you do have no matter how rich you become. Riches bring you only things. People and genuine interests bring you joy. Love and cherish who and what is in your life with every bit of your strength. Do the things you love to do, and do them with a passion. Joy does not visit the lukewarm but is showered upon the passionate. Be fierce in your love, because sometimes people are taken from us too soon and they should always know the power of your love and the primal joy it has brought to both of you. Love unexpressed is a tragedy.

Be generous in your spirit and share who you are. Love is one thing that returns tenfold when you give it away with no thought of any reward. Waste no time with those who reject you, there's plenty more where they came from. Waste none of your precious life either with those who feel that love, joy and passion are unimportant. They've got a screw loose and live dry, empty lives. Never be embarrassed by your capacity for giving or receiving love and joy. Men can learn a lot from women in this respect. While being a man is pretty different from being a woman, no definition of manhood should exclude open expressions of love or joy. It's not manly to be a stone, it's being a damned stone. Outside of geologists, anybody fascinated by rocks?

The world has plenty of barren rocks laying around already without any of us joining them. We're humans, a confusing jumble of emotions, intellect, fears, aspirations, desires, needs, wonder, curiosity and dreams. So let's dream our dreams and laugh our laughs and work our jobs with all we've got. Yesterday's gone and tomorrow might not come so let's all of us right here and right now love our people madly, do the things we love to do and open our hearts and our minds and our souls to that great other, the joy that we are privileged to be able to receive. That feeling that makes you want to LIVE in capital letters, to do and be and taste and touch! May you give and receive profound joy this day.