It’s Just What I’ve Always Wanted! What is it?
Have you ever noticed that some people just seem to know how to make anything fun instinctively? They light up the room and shift the energy. It’s not just about a friendly smile. It’s a belly laugh!
My nephew, Josh, was one of those people. But, unfortunately, we lost him too soon in a car accident when he was just sixteen. It’s been twenty years now. We’ve lived longer without that beaming smile in the room than we were privileged to see it across the table. Yet, Josh’s joy has lived well beyond his time here.
We recently celebrated his birthday, as we continue to do each year. Now those celebrations include social media posts with favorite memories with him. As I read through those posts, something stood out to me: Josh still makes people smile. He still invokes memories that have people laughing until their sides hurt. It’s a lovely legacy to be able to do that through eternity and not even have to be in the room.
When we enjoy life, we inspire and help others do the same. Fun isn’t in the least bit frivolous. It’s like nectar from the loveliest things in life.
Over time I’ve realized that fun isn’t something that merely happens. It’s something we create. You don’t need to look any further than a child or a dog to catch on to that. Their approach to things carries an expectation of fun. They are not likely to embrace something where fun isn’t going to be a factor.
There seems to be a point in time, though, when we begin that journey of “growing up” where we start thinking that things need to stop being fun. We set aside our playfulness. Perhaps it’s time to re-think that. I want to believe that Josh’s inner light would have remained just as strong had he lived. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone or anything to dim that glow.
My granddaughter Keira reminds me of Josh when it comes to fun.
Four years ago, when she turned five, her great-grandmother gifted her a musical jewelry box, complete with a dancing ballerina inside. To set the scene, it just looked like a pink box when she first opened it.
But her eyes lit up as if she’s just found a unicorn, and she exclaimed: “Oh Granny, it’s just what I wanted! What is it?”
Before she even knew what she was holding, she had decided it was perfect and that it was going to delight her. And, of course, it did.
Perhaps that’s all it takes for all of us to get back to those moments of sheer joy and fun. Just expect to be delighted. And let that promise come true. At any age.
