Joy Comes In The...Afternoon!

This afternoon the mailman delivered joy to my door...in the form of a package from Aunt Kathy.  I was thrilled to discover she had painted something especially for me.  She and I have both been encouraged by this quote that I mentioned in a previous blog.  My aunt is a wonderful artist who has brought precious memories of my grandparents to life on canvas.  I was so touched that she not only sent it to me, but that she had created it herself. 

"Scatter joy!"  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Time After Time

My definition of love has changed over time.  I remember the first time Jason told me he loved me.  We were in the middle of a marathon overnight phone call, acting like teenagers even though we were well past those years.  The days that followed were filled with excitement and carefree joy.  When he brought a gumball machine ring to my apartment and knelt in front of me, I understood the meaning of a deep lasting love.  As he held up our baby boy for the first time so I could count his fingers and toes, my heart was filled with a hope for our future.  Whenever we faced struggles in our lives, Jason's love was protective and unfailing.  While he lay in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes and machines, I was overcome with a desperate love at the thought of spending the rest of my days without him.  Today when I looked over at his face, I realized he is the culmination of every love I have experienced.  When the fireworks and drama fade away, there is a quiet contentment that moves in and fills the space.

"But love, I've come to understand, is more than three words mumbled before bedtime.  Love is sustained by action,  a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day." 
 -Nicholas Sparks