Together is Better

by Linda Settles
(Rustburg, VA)

I was feeling sad today. It wasn't about my past abuse experiences, exactly. I was missing someone I care about and wondering if things will ever be the same. You know, that sad, quiet ache in your soul that hangs back there and won't let you forget that something is not quite right?

A friend ask me today if I am happy. Happiness, I told her, is not the word for how I feel today. I am joyful. I have peace in my spirit. Happiness is something I enjoy sometimes--but not today. Today I rely of the happiness of my friends to put a smile on my face.

So what, someone asked me, is the difference in happiness and joy? Aren't they the same thing? No. They are not. For happiness is dependent upon circumstances and is as changeable as the wind. Joy is a deep inner confidence that all is well with my soul. Happiness is fleeting. Joy is a fruit of the Power at work in me-- the evidence of a healing in process, a character 'becoming.'

I hope you have a friend that you can talk to--someone to share your joy and your pain. I am glad that Darlene has given me this room so that I can share with you. I am glad that I can be your friend.