Dear Reader:

I think the transition after the holidays with a long (usually cold) January awaiting….leaves us all a little less joyful, perhaps, than we were with the anticipation of Christmas and the holidays beckoning to us.

In the education field….this interval of time is particularly trying. My heart went out to all the teachers yesterday morning, especially those who had early morning (cold) bus duty. The reality of the time period can be  pretty harsh.

I was thinking the other day that perhaps all principals, CEO’s, or bosses of any kind should  put some money aside for the after Christmas “Just Because” celebration. Wouldn’t it be nice to have returned to work yesterday to discover that lunch was being catered, or special gifts or gift cards were in everyone’s “cubbie” or an announcement was made for everyone to stop by a certain room and pick up “supper” before leaving?

When asked by happy but bewildered employees….”What is going on”…the “boss” could say it is “Just a Because” gift for all the hard work throughout the year and in doing so acknowledge and recognize how difficult it is to return to the sometimes mundane daily rituals of life.

When I think back to some of my own most surprised moments that “repeated the sounding joy”  …they have always been at a random time, an ordinary day or night. That is what makes them so special…so unexpected… making us feel completely joyful!

For the shepherds and wise men….the first initial burst of joy when news came about the birth of Jesus must have sent them running around in an aura of great excitement and joy….for us living two thousand years later…it is up to us to keep repeating the joy by our actions and prayers of thankgiving for this great event and all the blessings bestowed upon us subsequently.

When Issac Watts wrote “Joy to the World” it was never intended to be a Christmas hymn per se. It was a joyful celebration for the Second Coming of Christ. There are no shepherds or wise men in the  lyrics.

Over 100 years later, in 1839, Lowell Mason adapted and arranged this song into a melody many believe to have been written by Handel, although it is still controversial. Watts’ idea was that Christmas might or might not always be joyful…but the return of Christ will “repeat the sounding joy” forever.

So until tomorrow we need to be reminded to sing “Joy to the World” on any day of the year ‘just because’ we want to “repeat the sounding joy.”

I think Eva Cate and Jakie caught the looks of sheer joy and wonder on the Riverbanks Zoo carousel just recently.(The difference in children…Eva Cate lives in the moment while Jakie is curious about how the carousel works while the ride is still going.)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

• Just received news that Libby’s grandson, Trey, is having emergency surgery for an infection just discovered in his leg bone…it has all happened quickly and obviously is very unsettling…please keep Libby’s family and Trey is your prayers.