Have you ever had someone in your life that seems to be the walking personification of joy? You see they have more than just happiness. They are content, at peace, cheerful, take life seriously all the while not being too serious. Anytime I think of the person who exudes joy, I think of my ‘Grandpa Catalina.’ He passed away while I was a senior in highschool, yet left a huge impact on my family and me. While I am sure he got serious at times, knowing he was human and dealt with the same aspects of life that we all do, there isn’t a memory I have of him without a smile on his face. I always remember when visiting, he awoke with a song in his heart singing things like “cheer up ye saints of God there’s nothing to worry about… and oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day, I’ve got a wonderful feeling, everything’s going my way”. I know he was only a man, but I still marveled at the joy he had in life.
Perhaps, you are naturally more like I am? Stoic, serious about life, highly analytical in nature and not a natural smiler? Not that any of those things are wrong, in the right context they are quite healthy. It’s not that I am not happy, and it’s not that I do not enjoy aspects of life, but it seems as though (even as a Christian) joy, the kind I admired about my grandpa, is not a marker of my life. This is, in some ways, how I have always been, even as a kid. I have always had this feeling deep inside that I should not give up who I am but that I should be more filled with joy. This series on Best Family Ideas is about my journey, in the now, to discover joy. I am not in a place where I can title this series, ‘How I Found Joy’ because I am not there, however this is intended to be a series that I hope you will journey along with me in ‘A Dad’s Journey To Find Joy.’
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