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.

~~

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.

Last week, I spent thirty minutes in the waiting room of radiology. To pass the time, I did one of my favorite activities—I people watched.

Humans are diverse beings; we not only look different from one another, but also live and act in individual ways. As I looked around the room, this could not be clearer.

On a chair in the corner sat a well-groomed woman in her forties. Her nose in a book, she never once looked up. When the technician called her name, she closed her book, gathered her belongings, and followed the man in silence.

A longhaired young man in shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops sprawled out on two chairs in the center of the room. He held a cell phone in his hand and busily typed. Every so often, he mumbled unintelligible words, looked up at me, and continued his texts. I watched him for a minute or so until boredom set in.

A mother placed her little girl in the chair behind me. The child fidgeted in her seat, which caused her chair to bump against mine a number of times. For at least five minutes straight, she asked her mommy one question after another. The mom, bless her heart, patiently answered the child with a vocabulary every four-year-old understands.

An attractive woman in her eighties sat directly across from me. She and I linked eyes a couple of times and we both followed up with heartfelt smiles. A hello almost slipped from my mouth, but I stopped myself when a white-haired man walked up with a cane. He plopped himself next to the woman. Her face lit up in JOY, and I assumed they were together.

“Hello, ladies. You two look lovely today.” He winked at me from across the aisle then turned his face toward the other woman. “Have you been waiting long?” For the next few minutes, the two carried on a conversation about the weather, their grown children, and why their doctors sent them to radiology. Then he shocked me when he asked her, “How old are you?”

The woman grinned, batted her lashes, and said in a JOYful voice, “A lady never tells her age.” The man threw his head back in laughter.

About that time, the technician picked up a folder from the desk and said, “Jack?”

The man stood. “That’s me.” He tapped his neighbor’s foot with the cane and said with a wink, “See you in the funny papers.” She gave him a flirty grin and he walked away.

~~

These two people, old enough to be my parents, warmed my heart. A realm of emotions jolted through me as I eavesdropped on their conversation. Their words and actions captivated me. As I watched them toy with one another, I held in a chuckle. Their actions were sweet and their conversation delightful.

They gave one another a little JOY in an otherwise boring stretch of time. As worn as their bodies were becoming, their minds were sharp and they knew how to have fun.

I wondered about their lives. Had either of them lost their spouse?  Did they live alone or with their children? Would this charming couple ever see each other again? Of course, these and other questions would go unanswered.

Nevertheless, there is one idea I pondered. When I reach their state of maturity, I hope I am like these two happy-go-lucky, alert people. I will try to keep from acting like an old stick-in-the-mud. I want to make others laugh. I hope people feel comfortable around me. I want to flirt my way through life. I desire to live to the fullest all the way up to the end.

How about you? Would you join in on the fun like the elderly woman? Would you boldly tap a stranger’s foot with your cane, as if you were an old friend? On the other hand, do you see yourself rigid in the chair, a scowl on your face, and a grumble on your lips?

When it’s time to choose how we act in our elderly years, I hope each of us will remember the story of these fun-loving strangers. They made the best of a situation and enJOYed life to the fullest during their few minutes together. After my observations, I hope I respond with JOY and delight when I reach my golden years.

May your elderly years be full of life and child-like JOY.

JOYous spring has sprung in our backyard, and I am amazed at the sights and sounds of my surroundings.

The weather’s been beautiful the last couple of weeks. I’ve spent time in the patio lounging in my comfy chair. The rush of the water, as it falls from the upper pool into the pond, is music to my ears. When I close my eyes, I almost imagine I’m next to a flowing stream. The creek seems to rumble through rocks and tree debris. I hear fish plop into the water as they move from pool to pool in the imagined gurgling stream.

One of my favorite things to observe in my little corner of the world is the birds when they take daily baths. They love to clean themselves at the top of the waterfall. They first dip their tiny heads into the cool liquid and before long, drops of water fling through the air as wings flap and tails flit. I’m fascinated with these JOYful creatures.

Various fowl congregates in our backyard, more so than in the neighbor’s yard. I’m certain it’s because of the waterfall and pond. On the other hand, it might be because of the little tidbits of food we leave in numerous feeders we’ve collected on our travels. Their chirps of JOY resonate in our ordinarily quiet space.

Our dogs, Wing Man and Gracie, love to be among their feathered friends. When I let them out of the house, the first thing they do is run toward the bird feeders. If I hear the successive barks of my cocker spaniels and high-pitched chatter of the birds, I know the dogs successfully chased the little flying creatures to someone else’s yard.

But I think the sight I am most blessed by this spring is the blossoms on our orchids. The plants that have been flower-free for many years decided to bloom a few weeks ago. The fuchsia, pink, and white orchids take my breath away. My cup runneth over with JOY.

~~

You may wonder why the orchids bless me so much at this time of the year. In the early 1980’s, my husband lost both of his parents in a small plane crash. When we cleaned out their home after their deaths, we brought his mother’s orchids to San Diego.

She was blessed with an exceptional green thumb, and never a year went by without blossoms. When we transported them to our yard, however, they flowered for only a short time. Although they rarely bloomed throughout the years, Don’s patience and inherited green thumb managed to keep the plants alive.

April first marks thirty-four years since we lost Don’s incredible parents. Their lives carry on through sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The flourishing orchids and memories of my husband’s folks continue to bring us JOY. We are blessed beyond measure.

Surround yourself with unexpected JOY this spring, my friend.

While my youngest granddaughter and I walked around the lake at our favorite park this afternoon, we witnessed the lake being stocked with trout. A truck pulled up in front of us, and a worker stepped out. He maneuvered an enormous pipe-like contraption from the side of the tank located on the back of the vehicle and pointed it at the water. He flipped a switch, which turned on the pump to transfer the fish from the tank to the water. Eight to nine-inch trout were deposited close to shore in the lake. Memories of another time and place entered my mind, and a JOYous smile flashed across my face.

Our family spent many summer vacations in the Sierras located in the high desert of California. When we first camped along the stream, our children were ages seven to eleven. We roughed it in the wild on the shore of Bishop Creek for two weeks. This time together became the highlight of the year.

Back in those days, I never worried about our children. They romped around within a quarter mile of the camp, and I stayed close by the tent site in case they needed me. Their laughter, yells, and squeals of delight as they caught trout, fell in the creek, played hide and seek, or set eyes on the deer or beaver echoed throughout the entire area. A smile rarely left my face as I listened to the JOYous sounds of my three offspring at play.

We welcomed a fourth baby when the others were teenagers. By the time she hit an age old enough to enJOY our summer holiday, her siblings no longer joined us. Our summer trips changed somewhat.

Don and I bought a motorhome and continued the summer vacations. We no longer made our camp along the edge of the stream but stayed in an RV park instead. A good-sized pond in the park became a favorite place to fish since the Fish and Game Department sent someone to stock the hole with trout every week.

The sound of the truck’s engine filled the air, and every man, woman, and young person ran to watch the production. Anticipation grew as the twenty-inch diameter cylinder found its place over the water. The noise of the motor changed as fifty to sixty of the eighteen-inch trout magically soared across to the middle of the pond and plopped into the murky water. The children’s faces radiated excitement and JOY as they shrieked and giggled in delight.

Once the trout were in their new home, the kids jumped into action. Some ran to their parents so they could get help with their poles. Others tried to catch the fish on their own.

Usually, there were two or three children who stood off by themselves eager to join in on the fun but not able to fish. Either they were without a pole or their parents told them to wait their turn. The young ones watched as the adults threw out their lines and became engrossed in their mission.

These youngsters wandered around the body of water and observed others catch their limits of trout. As you can imagine, some of the enthusiasm disappeared from the eyes of the youth who only moments before were JOY-filled and excited.

My husband wanted to catch his limit like the rest of the men around the pond, but his heart must have gone out to the kids. Perhaps a memory from his past crept into his mind. Whatever the reason, he threw out his line, and when a trout took the bait, he offered a chance to reel in the fish to the nearest empty-handed child. Laughter and excitement filled the air as children reeled in trout by my husband’s side.

Don unselfishly spent the next two to three hours with as many kids as possible. He let them catch and keep the trout they brought to shore. Later in the day while most of the men from the camp rested in their tents or RV’s, my husband headed back to the pond to get his limit of trout.

~~

We all have a little child within; one who wishes to have fun, laugh and giggle, and enJOY every minute of the day. But, as adults, we sometimes need to put aside our wants and help the young people experience JOY. We must show them compassion and kindness. They need to know we understand. We should teach the youth to share life experiences by sharing ours with them.

Yes, our responsibility to the youth is important, but we must not stifle our inner child either. As we reach out to the children, we must take the time to stop and smell the roses and watch the JOYful activities of the day.

Sometimes I believe God brings the little children into our world to remind us about the JOY He has put in our path. A cheerful child can melt an otherwise hard-heart. Happy children bring so much JOY to those of us who open up our hearts and souls. If we share life’s good experiences with them, we will make a difference in their futures.

Bless a youngster today. Find a way to bring him or her happiness and laughter. Then watch in awe as the child begins to live life to the fullest.

This one step can make a better tomorrow.

Be blessed, my friend, as you marvel at the sights and sounds of laughter and delight of our world’s children when they react to life with JOY.

Valentine’s Day arrived, and even though I planned a perfect day, I blew the opportunity to give JOY to my husband. Without a second thought, I yelled at him in a very unloving manner. To make matters worse, I’m not sure why I raised my voice. I wanted to hide in a corner when he asked, “Why did you yell at me?”

I have discovered something about myself. I get so wrapped up in my own thoughts, actions, or feelings (both emotionally and physically), that I sometimes say or do outrageous things. Maybe you can relate.

How would you react to the following scenarios? Choose your answer and then spend some time in thought about the outcome of each choice.

~ Your child wakes up cranky, she won’t get dressed, and you’re running late for work.

1. Engulf her in a big bear hug and tell her how much you love her.
2. Yell at her, “Straighten up now.” Grab her by the hand and drag her to the car, in her pajamas.

~ Your spouse comes home from work in a bad mood and snaps at you when you ask, “How was your day?”

1. Snap back.
2. Rub his/her shoulders for a minute, in silence.

~ The lady in line behind you at the grocery store scowls and ignores you when you smile.

1. Give her a dirty look and turn your nose in the air. Make a snide remark about her to the person in front of you.
2. As you leave, turn towards her with a genuine smile and say, “Have a great day.”

~ Your teenage son borrowed the car for a date. He’s an hour late and you’re worried. The phone rings. Your son says, “Mom? I had an accident.”

1. You say, “Oh honey, are you and Melissa all right?”
2. “What? How many times have I told you not to drive so fast? Now you’ve done it. Did you total my car?”

Sometimes our impulse takes us in a different direction than the best course of action.

~~

Another Valentine’s Day is behind us, but I have a thought. What would happen in this vast and beautiful world of ours if we gave loving JOY to each other, every day during the year? How might our days unfold if we thought about those around us in a different light, and acted accordingly? Would relationships be better if we thought before we spoke? Would it hurt us to try to see the best in people?

We could pretend it’s Valentine’s Year and have a 365-day heartfelt marathon of love and JOY. I’m game—are you?

Loving others is a beautiful experience. I hope you will join me in random acts of kindness and spread JOY and love throughout the world.

Be blessed with loving JOY, my friend, as you give positive, warm experiences to those around you during this Valentine’s Year.