This morning, as I was walking the 4-mile trek on the path I routinely take, an older couple 
on bicycles came up behind me.
I could hear them pleasantly laughing together. Soon their laughter turned towards my dog, Paris. Paris is the cutest dog ever. Hands down. After yours, of course. And since she was off of her leash, she was feeling the freedom and adorably bouncing here and there. I mean, it was cute and all, but not that cute. Certainly, a romping dog did not call for all the joyful peals of laughter that came from this couple.
As they passed, still chuckling and laughing, they each commented on how sweet and cute my dog was. As they rode out of sight, I could hear the cadence of their laughter until finally, it faded into the distance.
It was then that I realized that Paris was only a momentary object for their joy. These two were just simply joy-full. An ant could have made these two burst into musical laughter.
Every now and then, life offers an opportunity to “see” something that we might not otherwise see. What this elderly couple did for me was help me to “see” what I want my marriage to look like 30 years from now.
How does a couple cultivate that kind of joy? I would love to ask the couple on the path, but my guess is that they
choose to be less uptight
forgive freely
don’t take themselves too seriously
always believe the best in each other
decide to laugh more at the little things of life
allow the Source of Joy to fill their lives
And I am certain that they have
endured difficulties and hardships together, allowing those to bring them closer together.
To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with.
Mark Twain
How about you? What do you do to intentionally cultivate joy in your life or relationships?
we try to take time to listen to the sounds of waterfalls and singing birds together 🙂
Carol, how awesome! The sounds of waterfalls and singing birds are sounds from nature that speak of joy, so its interesting to me that you both take time to listen as a way of cultivating joy. Thanks for sharing that!
Love this….my parents had joy together…amidst other not so lovely things. Since loosing my Dad in Jan.and while living closest to my mom of their 5 kids I get to remember that often. Precious to me, too, in light if the premature death if my own marriage. I strive daily to demonstrate joy despite’ any circumstances. Truly one of Gods gifts to us.
Your parents gave such a gift to you and your siblings in being able to find joy amidst life’s difficulties. Wow. I respect your own choice to do the same, to find joy even in the midst of adversity and pain. You are amazing. Thanks for adding to the conversation!
Thanks, Tracy. A beautiful invitation to remember that in this moment we are creating the future of our relationships. Your post reminds me of a favourite quote from a “Brush Dance” greeting card: All the flowers of the year are in the seeds of today..and sweet memories and joy.
Love that! “… in this moment we are creating the future…” True of most anything that I can think of. Thank you for that nugget!