JOY!

In a world that delivers a full share of tragedy and challenge in daily doses, what gives you joy? That persistent question has taken up residency in my heart and mind, and I’ve been paying attention to those moments when joy surprises me, as well as to what others have to say about joy, happiness and fulfillment.

As my faithful readers would expect, I must begin with the granddaughters. The lovely Madelyn Simone is an exuberant child who finds joy in blowing bubbles, picking tomatoes from the garden, and chasing butterflies. Her baby sister, the delightful Elizabeth Holiday, seems to be a more solemn child, and it takes a bit of coaxing to be rewarded with one of her lopsided grins. But when she smiles at me, it’s pure joy.

Writer Shauna Niequist describes her joy: “I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don’t want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines . . .”

My friend Amy Reardon relates her experience: “Years ago I went to a really pivotal leadership training event that was preceded by lots of self-testing. I learned about my ‘oxygen’ – the things that make life beautiful to me, what I need to stop and drink in every once in a while.” For Amy, art, poetry, music, and gazing at the wide-open sky provide her needed oxygen, a refreshing joy.

Roman Catholic writer Joan Chittister sees the concept of happiness in another perspective. ‘If I really want to be happy, what am I part of that is larger than myself? What can I give to this world, this project, this question, this problem that will be meaningful to others? When I know I am about something bigger than myself, money and status and personal ambition all pale in the face of it – and in the morning, I wake up happy.”

Joy, happiness, oxygen – whatever we call it, it comes in various shapes and sizes. In recent days, I’ve discovered joy in music heard and created, in a crescent moon in a starless sky, in belly laughs, and in the company of friends. Sometimes joy creeps up on us when we least expect it, while at other times, we have to search hard for it in the midst of difficult days.

Years ago, three friends and I skipped out on an organized women’s retreat and headed to Jacob’s Field, where we ended up in the fourth row from the sky. We had a blast! With perfect weather, beloved companions, and a beer vendor who kept us in stitches, what more could we ask for? When I told my husband what a great time we had, he responded, “But the Indians lost.” Sometimes, my dear husband, you have to catch joy whenever you find it, especially if you’re a Cleveland sports fan. As blogger Will Gibson reminds us, “We do not need to be miserable just because the team is. We can repurpose that misery into humor and have a good time despite poor play. We’ve certainly had time to practice.” (Smiley face emoticon).

What brings you joy? Sports, nature, art, children, faith – we each have our personal list of joy-bringers. But there’s a special thrill when we discover a community joy, and that happened this past Saturday evening as we joined about one thousand fellow Ashlanders for “A Joyful Opening!” The Ashland Symphony, the Ashland Area Chorus, the Ashland Regional Ballet, and the Ashland University Brass christened the new Robert M. and Janet L. Archer Auditorium with a magnificent evening of music. From the brilliant brass tones of Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” to the crowd-pleasing strains of Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” we were treated to a night kissed by joy. What a blessed people we are.

And now the County Fair is here, the happiest week of the year in Ashland! Here’s to overflowing joy as we greet our neighbors, stroll the Midway, listen to the laughter of children, and munch on deep fried Oreos.