Joy

I confess, my muse took over my body this morning.  And, I had a revelation that knocked the pants off me.  My muse has a name, and her name is Frankie.

Why didn't I realize that?

We were discussing the word joy, and tried to decide if joy was only a feeling, or if it could also be a tangible thing.  What came to mind first was the Christmas hymn "Joy, to the world".  Certainly not something we can hold in our hand, but definitely something we can all hope and pray for.  Joy to you world, joy to you.

However, Frankie's question was "what if you see a child at play, lost in his or her fantasy world, can't you go and hug that child, or tousle their hair? Isn't that touching joy?"   "Or, what about hugging an old person, when you enter their room, you see the smile on their face, and you know you removed their loneliness and sorrow for the day?  Isn't that touching joy?"

Wow, how profound.  I'm still inclined to think joy is just a feeling, but I have to agree physical things, definitely stir that particular emotion in me.  Things I can touch and feel, so I also tend to think joy can be physical, too.  So, here is a list of things that bring me joy.

A baby's skin
A hug for an old person
Holding an ice cream cone in my hand
Wearing chiffon, or silk
Eating fried eggs, over easy
Clean sheets
Zorro's kisses
CC's soft fur
and...
Frankie, my muse.  Hugs and kisses dear muse.

I'm sending 'JOY' to everyone who reads this. Grab it and hold it close.