JOY

After Mom died, I saw an ornament in a shop in ES with my MIL. I think she actually bought it for me. The word 'JOY' continues to remind me of mom. I remember her homemade bookmark with the letters spelling JOY going vertical and the red and green yarn that topped it. She loved the acronym of JOY: J-Jesus first, O-Others second, Y-Yourself last. I remember looking at a book of her's after she was gone, that flipped open where the bookmark was. The topic was joy. Dad and I were not shocked, just quietly said, "Of course." While she loved the word, its important to point out that joy overflowed her life. And J-O-Y was how she lived her life. I hope one day joy fills my tree.

I was shopping on Black Friday and found wrapping paper that said joy, that of course I purchased. I was standing there with Katie and told her that I had a thing for the word JOY. She said she did too. It's her middle name. Mom would really like her.