I’ve been thinking about joy recently… the little things that bring that lovely feeling of what a great time this is… what a special moment… what a wonderful life I live…

I started this post last night, after getting home from a great holiday celebration with my colleagues…  there had been lots of prep – meetings, running around, arranging and rearranging, lots of fun setting up, and then the actual event where everything came together, thanks to some great folks…

I decided to have my daughter Crystal come and act as wait staff, so that we could be present at the party and not just work it…  she did a great job, and took a huge load off our shoulders…

the joy for me was twofold…  a special event went very well, and I got to enjoy seeing her in action…  she is an amazing young woman, with a husband and three very active boys…  there are very few minutes when she gets to focus on one thing…  she did simple things – pour drinks, remove dishes, bring out coffee, maintain the food area, but she did it with a wonderful grace and hospitality… it also made me realize how much like her father she has become… I was a proud momma…

I think of the joy my beloved brought to me for more that 41 years and celebrate those events in my life…  it felt a bit odd to be at a party without him, but I also felt that he was there with me in spirit, and know how proud he would have been with the wonderful host that Crystal has become…