“The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.” Kahil Gibran from “On Joy and Sorrow.”

My life has had difficult times and joyful times. I had many joyful years as a wife and mother. I can remember when my children were young, the wonderful times we had. We were loud, silly and happy. My husband and I loved to take our family on trips, and out for dinner. We were so happy together, we laughed so loud that people around us would give us dirty looks. We didn’t care, we were a unit. All for one and one for all.

I was blessed with a loving husband, who was hardworking and put his family first. For 40 years we were together until he passed away last August after a 5 year battle with cancer. Until he got sick, our lives were filled with happiness and success. We had each other, and we were partners and friends and lovers. All our years together held much sorrow but also incredible joy.

I have to admit that my joy has been diminished these last few months. I still experience joy. I have children and grandchildren and family and friends that bring me happiness, and I am grateful for them all.

But I have known such happiness that I had to cry. There were times that I looked at my joy and found it to be far and above what I ever could have imagined or deserved. And the happiness, the gratitude, the feeling of such incredible luck, the sheer joy just overwhelmed my heart and poured out in tears.

I know that my heart will once again experience overwhelming joy, because I have felt overwhelming sorrow. And that joy may well be greater, higher, more sweet and precious than I have ever known.

https://davewilliamswriter.wordpress.com/2025/01/19/project-joy-is-__-starts-tomorrow/