The Story Behind the Story of Find Joy

During the year of 1991 my husband and I, with our four sons, lived in White Plains, New York. We both worked at the same company on Madison Avenue in New York City. Each morning we drove to the train station and rode the train down, 45 minutes, to Grand Central Station and walked several blocks to work. Leaving at six in the morning and arriving home at six or seven at night began to take its toll. I found myself becoming more and more depressed. Along the track each day we stopped at several stations for other commuters to get off and on the train. One such station was high above the city road below. This was the Harlem station.

The city was stark in contrast to other parts of the trip. There was no beauty in nature or buildings. It was not inviting and not a place I would ever want to walk. Many windows were broken out of the high-rise apartments. On a day like any other, my attention was drawn to the empty streets when I saw a mother holding the hand of her three or four-year-old son. I watched as they crossed the street that I would be afraid to step foot on. I realized the love she must have for her son was no different than the love I had for mine. I worried about my sons when they went places and when I left them alone for so long. She probably worried that she could not keep her son safe from the danger of drive-by shootings, crime, muggings, thefts, and assaults. Yet there she was with a lift in her step, holding his hand, talking to him. At that moment, I realized even living in what I considered a terrible, scary place, she could find joy in being with her son and teaching him to become a good person in the world he grew up in. I knew in that moment that I could find joy in my world.

I set out to write a series of “Find Joy” statements which I searched for as I went through my everyday life. The first one was, “Find joy in holding the hand of a child.” Eventually I made a greeting card line, but that was many years ago. About ten years later, I had three beautiful small grandchildren and decided to write this book for them. The original illustrations were made with pictures of my actual grandchildren cut out and mixed with applique. Fast forward another ten years and I had my niece, who is an artist, illustrate this current book. Then a few years later we decided to get serious and share it with the world and publish it.

My advice for all who read this…Find joy in life. It is so easy to find the things in life that are wrong, upsetting, annoying or frustrating. But when we put on our Joy glasses, life looks different.

Find Joy can be purchased by clicking here.