Joy Comes from Unexpected Places

We often think that we know what will make us, or those around us happy; but often times joy comes from very unexpected places!

One of my daughter's very good friends got two mice about six months ago ... and ever since this girl got these mice my daughter has been DYING to get mice of her own. Mice?? Really?? As if our house is not enough of a zoo already. We have two dogs, one cat (used to be two until recently), an aquarium full of sea creatures (including a shark and an eel) ... and now she wants to add two MICE to the mix. Ughh.

I just really wasn't too sure about this mouse thing. My nieces had a couple of mice a while back, and my youngest niece had been bitten by one of the mice and contracted some rare illness which landed her in the local children's hospital for quite some time, and so you can understand my trepidation of the whole mouse idea.

But after WEEKS of my daughter pestering us RELENTLESSLY, we finally gave in. She had saved all of the money to buy the cage, the food, the toys, the mice... the whole nine yards. She even had money to spare to purchase future food, and plain and simple we were running out of stalling tactics. So last weekend my husband took her to the pet store to get her pet mice.

I was on a retreat all weekend with my church, so when I got home on Sunday, the mice were all moved in and comfy in my daughter's room, but apparently they were still a bit skittish, and every time she put her hand in the cage to pick them up they would hide. I kept teasing her by going "here kitty, kitty, kitty" every time I'd go in her room ... threatening to show the cat her new mice, but of course I was kidding. (It was just too funny to see her reaction though!!)

So last night, my daughter's friend (from whom the mice idea originated) came over to play and see the new mice. And lo and behold, she puts her hand in the cage, and the mice come to her right away. So she gets the mice out, and lets my daughter hold them and have them get used to her scent, and now all is good! She can get the mice out by herself, no problem, and she is the happiest kid in the world. And her friend will forever be the "mouse whisperer!"

She was SO happy last night. After her friend left, and after we had eaten dinner, she gave me a big hug and said, "Mom, I love you so much. Thank you so much for letting me buy the mice. I love them SO much."

Who knew two mice would bring my child that much joy! Well, there you have it ... joy does come from very unexpected places!

Where has your joy come from today?

Cheers!