Have you ever glimpsed the color sherbet (sherbert)? It is so pleasing to the eye that it saturates the heart and soul.

Until this spring, I never paid much attention to the enJOYable shade. While shopping at the mall, it jumped right out at me. The store’s clerks decorated the windows in a myriad of colors that blended as one in my mind when I spotted the displays. Pink, yellow, purple, green, orange, blue—the merchants intrigued me with the variety of hues. Talking to no one but myself, I said, “Sherbet!”

An accessory store caught my eye. The windows overflowed with merchandise. Purses, scarfs, wallets, and umbrellas came alive before my eyes. Each window held a different hue. That in itself was a beautiful sight. Yet, when I stood back and viewed the entire storefront, JOY filled me to the brim. The many shades melded together.

As I passed a children’s clothing store, I stopped and marveled at the array of color. Each rack held all of the season’s shades. The colors intermingled when my eyes did a panoramic span from one end of the store to the other.

My two-year-old granddaughter came to mind as I sauntered through the mall. She spends one day a week with me and often walks into my home with her petite frame decorated in two or three colors blended into sherbet. She’s a little ray of sunshine when she comes through the door.

Flowers bloom everywhere this time of the year. Just yesterday, as I walked along the edge of a lake, I found JOY in an unknown tri-petal blossom. It looked as if someone threw seeds into the water and the wind blew them back just enough to land on the grassy bank. For a good thirty feet, the vibrant flowers bloomed.

When I celebrated my birthday last week, I received two bouquets of flowers. Now the hue dances in my kitchen and office. The fragrance gives me JOY as well.

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I strolled through the shopping center on that spring day last month, and happiness and JOY consumed me. The other shoppers seemed to walk with a spring in their steps. Everyone smiled. I suspect the enchanted color sherbet had a lot to do with the cheerful moods.

What is your favorite color? I have always answered ‘red’ when asked that question. Lately, however, sherbet calls to me. It reminds me that spring is in the air. I want this pleasant hue in my little corner of the world all year long.

I have decided to visit the mall and purchase a few vivid outfits for myself. Maybe I will hit the jackpot and find a dress with all of the pretty shades blended together.

Take a walk at your local mall this spring. Stop in front of the window exhibits and discover the JOYful shades. My guess is that you will find it impossible to be sad with the cheery displays staring back at you. I will not be a bit surprised if you fill your closet with spring colors to enJOY all year through.

May you never take color for granted and grasp a bit of JOY each time your eyes catch a glimpse of sherbet.