Earlier this week, as I was walking to my car after school, another teacher was heading out beside me. She laughed and said how the kids had just shouted her name—again—from across the parking lot. They’d already spent the entire day with her, but they were still bursting with excitement just to wave one more time.
That stayed with me.
There’s something so honest about the enthusiasm of children. They don’t hide their joy. They don’t hold back their hearts. Their love is simple and big and unfiltered. And I found myself thinking—when did we start holding ours back?
Rediscovering Joy in the Everyday
As we grow older, we tend to quiet our excitement. Life weighs in, responsibilities grow, and suddenly we forget how to delight in the little things. Even teenagers, with all their beautiful complexity, often lose that carefree joy that once came so naturally.
But what if we could get some of it back?
Children find joy in the tiniest of moments—a butterfly out the window, a new eraser, a familiar face at dismissal. Their hearts are still wired for wonder. And maybe ours are, too, buried under the noise and the lists and the expectations.
Lessons from the Leash: A Dog’s Delight
It’s the same kind of joy I see in my dogs.
I could walk out to the mailbox and be gone for four minutes, and when I return, it’s as if I’ve been away for years. They greet me with tails wagging and hearts full. Every single time.
It doesn’t matter how long I was gone. They’re just happy I’m home. Their enthusiasm is immediate. Pure. Unconditional. And somehow, it mirrors the same kind of wholehearted love I see in children.
It’s not about time or reason—it’s about presence. About letting someone know they matter, that their return was worth celebrating.
What a beautiful way to live.
A More Joyful Life Begins With Attention
Whether it’s a child, a loved one, or our own reflections in the mirror, joy is waiting to be noticed.
Here are a few gentle ways to invite that childlike joy back into your daily life:
- Greet your moments with your whole heart. Let your morning coffee be a little celebration. The sunshine through your window? A small miracle. Notice it.
- Let yourself be excited. Don’t save enthusiasm for weekends or vacations. Look forward to something today—even something small.
- Respond with joy. When you see someone you love, let them feel it. A smile, a kind word, a warm hug—they matter.
- Keep a joy journal. Write down the little things that made you smile. A shared laugh. A flower in bloom. A tail wag.
- Pray like a child. Talk to God the way a child would—freely, simply, with trust. He already knows your heart.
Closing Reflection
We don’t need to be loud to live with enthusiasm. We just need to be open—to wonder, to presence, to love.
Children and dogs are wise in this way. They meet life as it is, not as they wish it would be. They offer love without calculation and joy without reservation.
May we do the same.
With a heart open to the everyday wonder,
Jenny