Finding joy in the journey......

Do you ever think about the journey? the journey of life, the journey of a family raising children? I do, alot. I think about this journey that Bruce & I are on raising our 3 together, with all the laundry, the food and driving. I think about how to make sure every single day to find joy in this journey. I am not talking about anything expensive, or complicated. I am referring to simple joy, small things that we experience with the children that jump out at me when least expected and bring that warm joy.

Here are a few of my joyful moments recently:

I love love love to read aloud to children, any children. Michael still will ask for me to do this and I read chapter books with him most nights. One night recently after we read, we started talking. He took me on a journey through his school day. He asked me to take him through my day. After we talked/listened to each other he said he wanted to know if we could talk like this again tomorrow night. So begins the pillow talks.....

Morgan was working a couple of weekends ago. She was feeling a little under the weather. She called me from work and told me she felt terrible. I decided to go get her so she wouldn't have to drive home feeling so poorly. I made her hot tea with honey and picked her up. She got in the car, letting me know that she was able to drive herself home, sipped on the tea, then silence. I glanced over and she had taken the blanket I had packed and curled up, she was sound asleep and stayed that way the entire way home. Everyone needs to be taken care of, to be pampered when they are sick. Sometimes as we all get a little older, the only time we will accept caregiving is in the face of an illness.

Joy...Matthew decided to sand down his old guitar and repaint it. He sanded for weeks, bought the paint and did a beautiful job painting it. That is until all the paint began peeling off. He forgot to prime it. So...back to lowes, days of sanding, days of priming, painting, applying paint tape, and finally the masterpiece. He had worked hard. Twice. It turned out wonderfully. He took it to the guitar center to get a pic guard, one of the employees made his day. He told Matt that if he continued to customize guitars, he would be very successful one day.

Joy, simple small things bring so much joy along our journey. Usually the ordinary days, doing ordinary tasks bring about the unexpected feelings of warmth and joy in our lives.