In my prayers the other day I made note that I haven’t been able to write. Writing is such a therapy for me and it just wasn’t there. Yesterday though, there was finally something on my heart.

It was the thought that it sometimes takes courage to be joyful.

I think that joy comes from the little things like a cup of coffee on the deck listening to the wind blow through the chimes. That was my start this morning. Or even before that it was the pre-set option on the coffee maker that allowed me to be greeted with the scent of fresh brewed coffee when I woke up.

Joy is simple.

Joy can come from scents and sounds and flavors.

Joy is available to everyone.

Sorrow is not simple.

Sorrow is overwhelming.

In my life, I think my greatest sorrows stem from the boys living with Duchenne. It’s watching them struggle to get up from the floor, or watching them fall, or listening to their own fears and grief. Max admitted to me already this summer that he will miss when he can no longer ride a bike. And the biggest of all the sorrow and fear for me is being scared of losing my children to Duchenne.

Joy is a choice, a decision, even a mindset; even in the midst of pain and sorrow. If it is not a conscious choice, it is easy to let the heartache, fear, grief, pain…consume you.

Joy needs to be searched for while hoping and praying for our miracles; like a cure for Duchenne. Joy needs to be celebrated even when our hearts are broken and hurting and we mourn or suffer.

In my lifetime there may never be a cure for Duchenne, my relationships are never going to be perfect, my days will continue to have their challenges. There will always be sorrow, I know that, I feel that.

But I don’t have to live in the sorrow. I can’t out run it, or wait for it to end before joy.

Joy doesn’t wait for the bad to be over. It remains always. It is there in the beginning of the day and at the end.

That’s where the courage comes. I need courage to choose joy. There are so many many more little joys than there are great big sorrows. I want my joy to outweigh my sorrow.

Let there be silver linings when our hearts are aching. Let there be little breaks of laughter when our eyes are leaking. Let there be joy always present in our lives.

Find joy in the journey.