Count It All Joy

Personal opinion... They ought to have left in the bit where Kevin Kline flips his once stolen hat up with his boot into his hand after killing the bad guy in ‘Silverado’. Why do solid peaceniks enjoy a good western, action pack thriller or dark comedy? Ambiguity? Hyprocrisy? Release? Passing the time till their cold heals on a sick day?
 
Where are you today? On this great big ferris wheel or roller coaster of life, where are you?
 
You want to know some things about Joy? It cometh in the morning. It is the essence of life. It is not dependent on circumstances. In fact, frequently, after people have made it big and have it all, they long for simpler times when Joy was more visible .
 
Did you hit it big this week? Or is it the lowest point of your life? Big hint, if you hit it big , know it is a blessing.
 
Worst week ever? This too shall pass.
 
Somewhere in between? Stay focused and do your best.
 
Me? A week of new beginnings followed by my first sick day of the season. Fortunately a day when I had only one commitment. A day to be down. Hence, the Kevin Kline and Costner with six shooters.
 
There were reasons to have negative feelings and reasons to be positive this past week. Tonight, as I spoke with my Aunt on the phone, I told her of a big miracle I wanted.’ I guess I got my quota of miracles already’,I told her. I listed my big ones. I walk on two natural legs. That will never stop being a miracle.
 
I conceived, and gave birth to my youngest daughter Caity. A miracle because when I was seventeen and then again in my thirties I was given two children. Each time a boy and a girl. The first time, their mother had died the previous year . When they got into trouble as teens I told their father to send them to me. He had an addiction problem and keeping his secret was more important to him than the well being of his kids. The rest of the story was not good for the kids for many years. For me losing them was like ripping my heart out.
 
Caity lets me love and affirm her as much as I like. I will never lose her. That is a miracle. A woman like me, a person like me, holds every child and teen I’ve ever loved forever in my heart.
 
The second time people with addictions lured my children away, I buried my sorrow in loving Caity and Isaac. That they were there was a miracle.
 
The third big miracle was reuniting with a whole bunch of relatives: my little brother, a sister in law, a cousn.
 
Now... I want to tell you something important. I don’t think there’s another columnist in the world who shares as much pain and talks about that which first world people don’t talk about as much as I do.
 
You know why? Because I want you to know the power of life, the source of resiliency and the path to victory.
 
Every strong person is not afraid of adversity. They know the power of the storm. You’ve seen that Facebook post?
 
After ‘the storm you will not be the same person because the storm is like that’.
 
Time and again my heart breaks seeing people afraid to acknowledge the truth because they think the truth will kill them. They miss the opportunity to reveal and be loved unconditionally.
 
Joy comes in truthful moments. Joy begets life. Joy lifts and frees.
 
Fear not the blessing of adversity. Stroke? Cancer? Death? Business failure? Alienated family members? Unexpected pregnancy? Legal troubles?
 
If you stand in it, if you go to the deep place within yourself and say, ‘I am in trouble and I hurt’ you will find new life filled with Joy. Oh and I spoke a theological errancy earlier. There is no quota on miracles. I got another one just today!
 
That’s all. That’s why. That’s how.
 
Love, Deborah