Joy

“The winner sow hatred
Because the loser suffers
Let go of winning and losing
And find joy.”
                                    - Dhammapada

 Joy is a funny intangible.  When I hear the word, my first image is a choir of angels with big golden halos.  There are other stereotypes of joy; a newborn baby, grandparents playing with grandchildren, a soldier returning from war.  I’m sure we all have other images of joy –personally significant memorable moments.

For me, that’s not enough.  I can’t stave off my thirst for joy waiting for babies to be born and soldiers to come home.  For me, I need a little joy everyday, even if it’s just a little bit, maybe imperceptible to the untrained eye. 

This morning as I write, three little boys are having their daily hammock rides next to me.  It's wild and furious event.  Each day, they come up to the balcony where I work, collect all the cushions from the floor and methodically place them into the two hammocks.  Then they climb aboard and go for the ride of their lives – I’m not sure where they go in their minds, but it sounds like a great place.  Today, they have expanded their fun by convincing me to lift them up to the ceiling so they can take down the some of origami decorations; birds.

I’m not sure what it is about the scene around me that gives me joy.  It could be that, for once, I get to participate in their games – it’s always fun to play.  It could be the 3 silly faces pointed up at the ceiling, arguing about which of the many origami pieces is the best selection.  It could be that after two weeks of isolation in the garden of Eden, I can sit and write and concentrate while two or four or six stomp and swing and giggle and drop from the hammocks around me.  Whatever it is that brings me joy today is both large and small – a funny intangible.