Still Here

The joy I thought I had left behind
has been with me all along.

Insight

I sometimes think of joy as something I once had—something that belonged to an earlier, lighter version of me, before life became more complicated.

But perhaps joy does not disappear simply because I lose touch with it. It can remain quietly within me, unchanged by the years and experiences that gather around it.

I am beginning to see that I do not have to return to who I once was to find joy again. The child I was is still part of the person I have become.

And so is her joy.

Reflection

What joy might still be alive within you, waiting not to be found, but simply felt again?