Everyone needs joy in her life. It comes in many ways, i.e. children, grandchildren, spouse, plants, the arts, etc. It can be anything or anyone who makes your heart swell with “joy.” As we grow older, the things or people who create joy inside us can change. Many replace the joy of motherhood with grand motherhood. For those who have no children there might be joy in a good marriage or family. Joy for the childless might be found in a profession or a loving pet. No matter where one finds it, it is necessary.
Have you ever known someone who is hopelessly depressed? They have lost their “joy.” Can they get it back? Maybe not the original cause of joy but joy can be created in other things or with other people. The problem is not just to find it, but to gather “hope,” another necessity of life and search for it.
I have found joy in many things and people over time, and it has disappeared with them to be replaced with something else. As one gets older, it can get harder to find, if, in fact, you do not already have the built-in joy of a family. Many times, friends can substitute for family and the joy it provides, but aging, time, and distance can change the strength of friendships.
I have a small dog, that I love like family, but he is getting very old and will leave me soon. I could get joy from another pet, but now, I find it is hard to “afford” a pet. They can be as costly as a child, in some ways. So, I need to start searching for other avenues for my “joy” fix. Income and health will play a large part in the search for me now.
Will I garden, again, or window shop? Will I take a free art class at the local college? The opportunities are out there and are awesome, but I must find something that I will get new joy from. If the truth be told, I know that traveling would give me great joy, but age and income will determine that.
But that might be it – become a wanderer. Someone once told me that since I moved so much, it might be more reasonable to buy a small trailer that I could pull after my car. It’s an idea. I must start planning.
Let’s see now, there is a casino about 50 miles from here. I could drive up there, see everything, eat lunch, and return. I am going to start planning that now. Who knows what doors that adventure could open? I will let you know.
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