My grandson and I saw a movie featuring characters that represented joy, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear. We love to play a game of our own making, showing how we express each emotion and telling what makes us feel each emotion. Out favorite emotion is joy. We talk about the others but after a while we always return to joy. Talking about the others too much causes us to begin to feel those emotions. Who wants to feel anger, sadness, disgust, or fear?

When I was young, I decided that I didn’t want to “grow up”-not like Peter Pan, but as in being child-like. I taught second grade for years because I love that children of that age and younger have such a joy for life. They also forgive easily. My grandson is like that. Joy, enthusiasm and love seem to pour out of him. That’s what  I mean by not “growing up”. I want to continue that kind of joy until I die. 

Maybe it’s not dignified for a 70 year old to slide down a slide or make snow angels or chase a child or maybe even jump a little bit on a trampoline. These are things my grandson encourages me to do. However, I may not be dignified, but I sure am having fun. I do try to see the joy in life by learning new things, traveling new places, or enjoying the ordinary. I try to realize every day is a gift. 

It’s so easy to become cynical or bitter or critical as we age, but look at what poor examples we are when we do that.  I see so much that shows elderly people in that light, even comic strips like Crankshaft. As a child, I remember thinking that most adults don’t have much fun and they were critical of everything and everyone. There were all theses rules and regulations, “like you’re too old to go bare foot”.  I thought then that I never want to be that way. It isn’t always easy and I’ve failed many times, but now I want to spend my remaining years seeing the best of life and the best in others. 

Let me see, be, and give JOY!