January 6, 2008 – I had a wonderful dinner tonight with Steve McLean and his wife Kim, and we talked about many things, including Kim’s idea that joy and happiness are not the same thing. I know what she means. Joy pops up in life when you are open to it, are seeking it, or find it in the love you seek, the things you create, the meaning you find in life. Joy is not something that can be taken away by external things, although I think one of the worst things about fear is that it smothers joy and makes it hard to find. I find joy every day. I find it in the beauty around me, walking the dogs, taking a good photo, writing, talking to friends, my daughter Emma, learning how to manage my life, running my farm, doing hospice work, knowing people like Steve and also Kim.
  Steve has been thinking a lot about the economic troubles – he is keenly aware of the suffering around him and his congregation – but he also remembers that nothing of eternal value can be taken by markets and money. Eternal things – love, faith, spirituality, peace – are not in the hands of Wall Street brokers and hedge fund managers.
  This has been the lesson of the last few months for me. I have been surprised, alarmed, affected, as has just about everyone reading this, but I have to say, as many other people have, that these troubles have brought a stream of good things to my life – more simplicity, thoughtfulness, community, spirituality, deep friendship. How curious how life works, and how powerful a force joy can be in life.