Is Anyone Happy Anymore?
Times are tough. I know. Blah blah blah. But they are, and they wear us all down. The expression on everyone's face is a mix of stress, exhaustion, anger, and worry. How I long for simpler, happier times! Like 2019, or something. My wife asked me yesterday, "Do we know anyone who is full of happiness? Where you could go visit them and they pump you up?" This is not a shot at my friends or colleagues. It's not like visiting people is miserable. Far from it. However, we're all struggling, and a true non-superficial visit inevitably reveals real-life hardships. But my wife continued, "Jude! He's always happy!" Jude is our two-year-old son. As only a two-year-old can, he is a spark of energy, joy, smiles, and craziness. He runs to me in the morning with a big smile. He runs to me when I come home from work and shouts my name. He runs to me when he doesn't want to go to bed at night. He is a non-stop bundle of laughs. Everyday, and I mean everyday,