My wife showed me a picture of her new classroom with her name on the door.
“You did it,” I said.
“Did what?”
“You achieved your objective. Ten years ago you said you wanted to be a teacher at the local school district. Now you are! Congratulations!”
She has a special smile for moments like these. My wife is usually too hard on herself. She’s serious, determined, and driven. But right then, a ray of happiness came out of her like a sunbeam.
I was reminded of the expressions of joy I often see on the faces of my children. It’s a combination of innocence, delight, beauty, and love. Perhaps it’s too infrequent that we pause to tread water in time and simply have a look at the scenery.