Joy

Joy. A three-letter word filled with meaning, hope and peace. Joy, such a wonderful word and feeling. Happiness is also a great feeling, but it's often fleeting, tied to external circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, comes from within, routed in purpose and faith. The word "joy," along with variations like "rejoice" or "joyful," is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible, depending on the source. Happiness fades, but joy endures. 

It wasn't until I focused on "joy" that I felt a true sense of calm - a steady, peaceful feeling inside. Joy and happiness aren't an either-or experience; they can exist side by side. But it is joy that stays in your heart, that place where you can rest and simply be. Once I stopped focusing on whether I was "happy" or "sad", joy was able to fill my heart

I've been making cards for a long time and when it was time to get a personalized stamp, I knew what I wanted it to say: "Created with Love & Joy".

And when I started making quilts, I signed them the same way too.  Whatever I created, I wanted it to be crafted and filled with love and joy.  

This past Christmas, I made small fabric tree tags from quilt scraps, then started creating heart tags with the word "Joy" on them.  I began carrying the tags in my pocketbook with me. I wanted to spread joy with others and to thank and recognize those who had brought joy into my day.  

Since January, I have given away more than 127 Joy tags. They've gone to cashiers with kind smiles, helpful receptionists, little girls with pretty pink bows, friendly security guards and the kind woman at HomeGoods who found me crying in the Pet section just 5 days after Missy passed. When someone brings me joy, or I sense that they could use some, I give them a tag.  

The first Joy tag I gave away was on January 12th at a Publix. A woman was wearing a stunning blue wool coat, and I complimented her on it.  What followed was such a delightful conversation and experience that I knew - this is what I need to do.  This is what I am meant to do at this time in my life; share joy.  When I got home, I started a notebook to record my encounters, because while sharing the joy is wonderful, I also want to remember it.

Before long, I had more than a dozen Joy "carriers" - friends who also carry Joy tags to give away. I've made over 190 tags for them to share, with just one request; that they tell me their stories. I always want to hear the stories.  💖

It's such a simple thing really - noticing someone, appreciating someone's kindness toward you or realizing that someone could use a little kindness. 

Joy is what connects us on a deeper level, and it truly is a wonderful thing to share.

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Bringing Missy Home

Our house is quiet. Whenever the family dynamics changes, it leaves an emptiness. It feels different and I know it will feel this way for a while. You can't lose a sweet dog with such a big personality as Missy without feeling an absence. 

After Missy had passed and Dr. Springs had given us some time with her; she returned with a beautiful basket lined with soft fleece. She and Bill gently lifted Missy into the basket laying her head on the soft white lace-trimmed pillow and adjusting her before covering her with a small gray blanket. 

Bill carried Missy out the front door and gently placed her in the front seat of Dr. Springs' car.  Seeing her laying there in that peaceful surroundings both broke my heart and brought me comfort.  Everything about that day was peaceful and exactly how we prayed it would be as we said goodbye to our sweet girl. 

Since then, the days have also has been filled with so much kindness.  We've received countless beautiful comments on the "Missy Alden" blog, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.  In remembrance of Missy, we received many thoughtful phone calls, cards and gifts - flowers, plants, customized wind chimes, plaques, a tree planted in her name in a US National Forest and a handmade wooden heart. One especially tender-hearted friend brought me warm soup, along with a bag of berries and yogurt knowing I wasn't taking care of myself. It's amazing how a 17-pound bundle of love and wiggles touched so many hearts. 

We got the call from Inman Animal Hospital letting us know that Missy's ashes were there. Dr Tyler Vaughn and all the vets at Inman Animal Hospital had taken such good care of Missy over the past 12 years, handling everything from baths and shots to boarding, annual checkups and everything in between as we worked to manage her increasing pain and anxiety. We got to know them very well over the years and liked and trusted them all.  

The morning we were picking up her ashes, I baked Chocolate Chip Cookies. I often baked for the staff to thank them, and they always enjoyed and appreciated the treats. The cookies were meant to go along with the other things I was bringing, and I wanted them to be warm when we arrived.

I knew that I would be an emotional mess walking into the office and seeing all the staff, and I was. Once again, there was so much kindness, so many hugs and love for us and for the joy that Missy brought them every time she visited. 

We brought Missy home through the front door to complete the circle, and placed her ashes and pawprint in her room, on her bed bathed in the morning sun that she loved so much. 

Lap of Love has locations and veterinarians in 48 states, offering 24/7 support to guide you through the entire process of this difficult and heartbreaking decision. We worked with Dr. Carol Springs, and she was truly an angel.  

https://www.lapoflove.com

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Jennifer Gray

I visited Jennifer at Spartanburg Regional Hospital on the morning of Tuesday, September 9th. Even though it was not yet 9am, her husband Sam, her sister Jill, a nephew and a brother were already there, with many more family members on their way from near and far.  

Jennifer was a devout Christian, and during an earlier visit she shared that she had peace with the diagnosis and decision and simply wanted to go home.  Jennifer came home Wednesday, the next day. On Friday evening, Sam called to let me know that the hospice nurse had just left their home and to give me update me - Jennifer had about a week to live. 

The next morning, I visited with Jennifer in her home and it would be the last real conversation we'd have. After that, I would visit every morning and sit by her side, praying, speaking softly, and caressing her beautiful skin and cheek. They had started giving her strong doses of pain medication to keep her comfortable and she slept deeply with little reaction to noise or touch. 

That Saturday morning, I told her I had written something and I asked if I could share it with her.  She quietly replied, "Please do". This is what I wrote and shared with her that morning: 

"You won't see Jennifer out in the neighborhood - she and Sam don't own a dog, and Jennifer doesn't drive - but if you attended the annual block party, you definitely saw her.  She was the sparkling, smiling gal carrying a platter piled high with fish cakes. 

Always sparkling and smiling, I can't recall a time when she wasn't doing both. She loves her glitter, rhinestones and all things glitzy. Her hat, her nails, her phone case, her shirts, her house slippers, her water bottle - you name it, she added some shine. Sparkle is her favorite "color" and it suits her.  Jennifer radiates faith, joy, kindness and goodness. 

Jennifer and Sam created a cozy and inviting home.  Each visit brought a new discovery - a framed photo, a memento from a trip, or plaque with an inspiring verse.  Jennifer wanted people to feel welcome and comfortable, and I certainly always did. 

If Jennifer calls you a friend, consider yourself truly blessed.  You could be confident knowing she would be a true and loyal friend. Jennifer welcomes you in, cares deeply, listens with her heart and loves openly, all the while sharing her faith and leaving you feeling heard, loved and blessed. 

I feel blessed for all the moments I shared with Jennifer and the many ways she helped me. Not just in the easy conversations, but through the tough ones as well.  She listened and loved with the right balance of compassion and guidance, always rooted in the Word and grounded in love."

I finished up with, "Jennifer, my friend, my dear and treasured friend, I feel proud, honored, and truly blessed to have had you in my life these past four years.  I am grateful for all you've done for me and for others and I love you my precious friend."

Jennifer was crying as I read this to her, as was I. When I finished, we sat in silence for a few moments, me just caressing the beautiful soft skin on her face and hand and loving on her.  I thought she had fallen asleep, but then in a soft whisper she said, "Read it again, gather everyone around and read it again". The family members, about 15 or so, gathered close around the bed and Jennifer softly said, "Janet wrote this for me". 

I read it again for the family. Jennifer was crying, I was crying and several family members were crying as well. When I finished, people came up to me, hugged me, and thanked me.  They thanked me.  Here I was blessed with this beautiful gift of friendship and love from their beloved "Jenny", and it will always be me who will be thankful.  

Jennifer passed September 18th around 9:30pm with Sam and Jill by her side. 

Jennifer, may God, who watches over us and hears us when we pray, grant you eternal rest - you are Home. 

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Missy Alden

 

 

On November 27, 2012, we eagerly and joyfully welcomed 7-month-old Missy Alden to our home.  On March 27, 2026 at 9:30am, with hearts full of sorrow, we said good-bye.

Thirteen years and four months with this sweet, silly, independent, sometimes bratty, people-loving, worm-eating pup who made us laugh and brought joy into our life every day. 

In 13 years, you create countless memories with your dog.  All the little things they do, the quirks and traits they have that endear you, frustrate you but always make your day bright and joyful. 

I started jotting down the little moments with our first dog Ginger.  We had her for almost 12 years before losing her quickly to cancer. Even now, 14 years later, I read the little notes and stories about our sweet, snuggle bunny Ginger, and it all comes back to me like yesterday.  

I did the same thing with Missy, kept notes, and I could list the hundreds of sweet and silly Missy things that made Missy unique. But three things stand out. Three things that brought Missy the most joy.

First there were people. Missy adored people - all people. It didn't matter if you were coming to our house to fertilize the lawn, drop by for a visit or check the HVAC system; Missy eagerly and enthusiastically greeted everyone at the front door. She loved everyone and had the confidence to believe the feeling was mutual.  And it was - Missy made friends with everyone. 

Missy and I went for walks through our neighborhood multiple times a day.  Missy loved her walks, partly for the smells and the dried worms (more on that later), but mostly for the possibility that she would see a friend. In our community of 75 homes, there was always a good chance that Missy would encounter a friend ready to give her ear scratches, belly rubs and plenty of attention.  Whenever we headed out, Bill never knew if it would be a 5 of 45 minute walk - it all depended on who we saw and how much attention Missy required. Everyone loved and welcomed sweet Missy, and she would get so excited to go see her friends. 

Next up was her love for dried worms. Yep, this sweet little goofball loved eating dried worms - the kind that dried on your driveway overnight. Charming trait isn't it! The first thing I did was check with our primary vet to make sure it was not harming her.  He assured us that as long as they were simple earthworms and definitely dead, it was weird - but perfectly fine. 

Missy's worm eating was well-known in Bushfork.  In fact, she often got tips from her friends about where to find the best worms. In all these years, I never figured out her criterial for deciding which worms were worth eating. She would smell the worm, sometimes pass it by, or decide it was a good one and worthy of eating. They all looked the same to me - gross. The crunching sound and the sight of a dried worm dangling out of her mouth was something I just had to accept as a quirky Missy thing. 

The third thing that brought Missy tremendous joy was having the sun on her belly and receiving belly rubs. Show of hands - how many people have been given the privilege of rubbing sweet Missy's belly?  Within moments of seeing Missy, you were shown her magnificent belly.  It didn't matter if you were a stranger, the vet about to give her a shot or one of her neighborhood friends - Missy was on her back, belly up, just waiting for rubs and scratches.  In all these years, there were few that could resist the allure and charm of Missy's belly.  

Soon, it became hard for her to turn onto her back and we knew something was wrong. The past year has been a rough one for Missy. Multiple vet visits and multiple options to try to manage her pain and anxiety. She was mostly deaf and was limited in her vision. She was 14 and her body was getting tired. 

When she no longer wanted to go for walks and would snap or bite if we tried to put the leash on her or approached her the wrong way, we knew we had a hard decision ahead. We knew that we did not want to medicate her further, keeping her in a sedated state would simply not be fair to this sweet girl. 

We wanted someone to come to the house for her transition, we knew that taking her to the vet’s office would have caused her too much stress, and we couldn’t put her through that. We contacted Lap of Love and set an appointment for March 27th. It sounds so final to write it, but it was by no means an easy decision. We discussed it at length, and I kept hoping she’d have a good day again, but she didn’t—every day was just another bad one. We didn’t want to repeat what happened with Ginger, rushing around with a hurting, anxious dog trying to find help. I made an appointment, canceled it, made another and kept it. I wasn’t 100% sure, but the truth is, you never can be. In the end, it was about making a decision and doing what we felt was best for Missy. By having her euthanized at home, we believed we were giving her the peaceful, dignified transition she deserved. She could be in her room, in her favorite spot on the bed in the morning sun. Our decision was made out of love and compassion, doing the best we could for a dog who trusted us her whole life to do the right thing.

My sweet Missy always needed to know where I was, and over the past few months, especially in her last week, she became much more anxious about this. Whether we were at home or outside, she'd constantly come to check that I was exactly where she left me. She'd find me, I would say, "I see you", and she'd go off again for another five or ten minutes, then return again. 

In those last few hours with her, I softly stroked her head and told her how deeply she was loved and how much we would miss her. I assured her that she will always know where to find me. I told Missy that time works differently in Heaven, and before she knew it, she'd look around and see me there smiling and saying "I see you".

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?  And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father."  Matthew 10:29 (KJV)

             

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