Wouldn't this be a nice change from 2020? The whole world needs a New Year's gift-like a vaccine that protects against Covid 19. I'd be very happy with that. But I don't think happy moments will be enough for lots of people any more. Not for me either.

 As selfish as it sounds, I need joy times to help strengthen me to cope with hard times that are inevitable. Chronic conditions guarantee this to be inevitable. Happy moments by themselves won't do that for me.  Happiness and Joy are both valid but are not the same thing. I've had happy moments and they have been very good for me. Joy is a far more fulfilling experience I treasure with my loved ones and friends. They help shape my thinking often at just the right time when I find that hard to do. For instance, my recent fall down some steps while carrying my grand-daughter might sound like a weird example. But I did know joy in my injuries because of the most important thing. My toddler was miraculously free of any injury. Thinking back to that incident and those who helped me recover, I can 'see' my joy and relief while at the same time feeling pretty much shattered. Strange how joy works-but it does work. I just need to search more carefully for joy than depending on happy moments.

A happy new year? Well I hope so but I'm more secure with the safety net of joy in my faith, family and friends for the new year. We all need such a safety net so don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise.