Shield your joyous ones

I have been truly blessed by reading Gretchen Rubin’s blog, The Happiness Project. Yes, my immediate reaction to the very idea of a happiness project – what kind of dopy, new-agey claptrap is this? – was skepticism and scorn. But I read what she has to say, and was soon won over. Her writing is thoughtful, thought-provoking, and far from simplistic. Here’s an excerpt from a post on her resolution to be more positive:

"A prayer attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo includes the line, Shield your joyous ones:


Tend your sick ones, O Lord Jesus Christ;
rest your weary ones; bless your dying ones;
soothe your suffering ones; pity your afflicted ones;
shield your joyous ones.
And all for your love’s sake.

At first, it struck me as odd that among prayers for the “dying” and “suffering” is a prayer for the “joyous.” Why worry about the joyous ones?

Once I started trying to give positive reviews, for the first time, I began to appreciate the people I knew who are joyous. I understood how much effort it takes to be consistently good-tempered and positive.

For example, I remember that one day when we were visiting Kansas City, my father came home from work and my mother told him, “We’re having pizza for dinner.” As she knew he would, my father answered, “Wonderful! Wonderful! Do you want me to go pick it up?”

We all knew that my father would have answered that way even if he didn’t want pizza for dinner, and even if the last thing he felt like doing was heading back out the door. And that kind of consistent enthusiasm contributes a lot to everyone’s happiness.

We non-joyous types suck energy and cheer from the joyous ones. We rely on them to buoy us with their good spirit and to cushion our agitation and anxiety.

At the same time, because of a dark element in human nature, we’re sometimes provoked to try to shake the joyous ones out of their fog of illusion—to make them see that the play was actually stupid, the money was wasted, the meeting was pointless. Instead of shielding their joy, we blast it. Why is this? I have no idea. But that impulse is there."

Read the whole thing – it’s very worthwhile. And if you are a “joyous one,” God bless you. Please stay that way. If you are not by nature a “joyous one,” please take some time today to appreciate people who are, and to resolve to shield them from the spite of others, including your own. They make our lives easier, and richer, and better. And if you know or live with a naturally joyous child (as opposed to a naturally downhearted or anxious child – they do exist, poor things) – how very fortunate you are! Do all you can to shield them while they accomplish their work of making your life happier.

Next post: looking at a different type of happy-talk.