Joy

I was talking to a woman yesterday who said that she had to continually try hard to be happy. She wondered if that were normal. I thought about it as I sat there. I wasn't sure what to tell her. It's not normal to me. As I thought about myself, I realized that I am often happy. I'm not happy all the time - no one is. Sometimes I'm sad or angry or bored, but underneath it all is this steady state of joy and hope. Is that foundaiton a happy result of life's circumstances? Is it a product of an optimistic personality? Or is it a gift of faith in God? As the woman asked the question, the first thing that came to mind was my faith. I'm not always happy, but I remain rooted in hope. And that is better than happiness. It's joy.