The Joy of Living

A street scene with an interesting old two-storied building with a special
design on it.

While it is sometimes depressing to live in the least developed country in the world and see all the poverty and suffering, there are other days that the joy of living still breaks through in the little interactions of daily life. Today as I drove to work I caught a glimpse of a father driving his 4 or 5 year-old daughter on his motorcycle. As she cuddled between him and the handlebars, she was complaining about all the dust in the air this time of year, and she held the bottom of her hijab up to cover her mouth and nose. Then she let go and the wind blew most of the scarf up over her face in a comical way, which she pushed back down with a great smile. Immediately following, there were boys going on an errand to pick up something for their family in a big hand-cart. One boy was enjoying a ride in the front kneeling with outstretch hands like the actress in the movie Titanic, while the other was joyously pushing him in a zig-zag down the middle of the street without a care about the work they we’re on their way to do. The mood on the bright sunny day made me want to sing for joy:

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays,
stars and angels sing around Thee,
center of unbroken praise:
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain…
[laughing daughters with hijabs and boys doing chores in simple joy]
call us to rejoice in Thee!

--El Padre