THE JOY OF LIFE

Sometimes I have to admit that I get joy mixed up with being thankful. The two are different but so intertwined in my life, that I rarely feel one without the other.

Most mornings as a child I was awakened by one of my parents calling out, “Rise and Shine!” (I now know my mom and dad had coffee before they woke us up! I never thought about the head-start they had on us kids!) From there we went to breakfast where everyone talked about how they slept, the events of the day or something funny. Nevertheless, rising and shining stuck with me.

Later when I attended nursing school and shared a common bathroom with 10-12 other young women in various stages of wakening, I was surprised to find my “Good morning!” greetings were greeted with much less enthusiasm than I was accustomed to! Sleepy, half opened eyes, with gaping…