"Oh Darling, your joy is impregnable and solid." I was surprised to hear myself saying these words. It was the middle of the night, and I had gone in to see why our six-month-old son had cried out in pain. Earlier in the day I had been praying about the spiritual nature of joy, and this insight, which had inspired me then, was the first thought that came when I rushed to care for my son.
Even as I reassured him, I noticed that there was an ugly sore on his body that hadn't been there when I put him to bed. I intended to pick him up to comfort him and to pray. To my amazement, however, before I could do this he turned over and went right back to sleep. In the morning there was no evidence of the sore spot. The baby had not understood my words, but he certainly had responded to the healing idea that they conveyed and to the deeper spiritual joy I had felt as the result of my prayer.
During this time in my life, I had not been feeling very joyful. I had gone from the stimulation of having an active, interesting career to being a stay-at-home mom. Also, we had moved from the city to the country, which meant that my busy husband had a long commute and was seldom home during waking hours. I really needed to find a better basis for joy than depending on the circumstances around me.
