Excerpt from Odd One Out published by Teitelbaum Publishing
“…You’re a thief!” the judge said “Let’s see
your hands!” I showed him my callous hands in court.
My sentence was a thousand years of joy.
Robert Bly
Happiness is pursued, while joy is received. All these elegant trees on my property stand waiting for the joy of their beauty to reach my eyes and then my heart. Sometimes when the wind is strong enough, they wave at me to get my undivided attention. The pines, especially today, are insistent on saying hello. It seems like joy is enhanced in direct proportion to how I reduce my expectancy and search for happiness. Joy can be experienced only in the precious moment. It can give birth to ecstasy, enthusiasm, and even momentary enlightenment. For us to be happy something has to happen to make us so. While joy is quixotic, mercurial, and temporary it is available anytime night or day.