The Joy of the Children

That line - "the joy of the children was in his voice" - is hands down my favorite line from the book Christy by Catherine Marshall.  I don't even know what children she was referring to but I definitely know what kind of joy she's talking about.  It's something that bursts out in a tumble of energy and spontaneity and is both deep and pure. 

I found this gif today on tumblr for the moment (I'm almost sure of it) when Japan found out they were going officially to the World Cup in Brazil.
 

It's a moment when Hasebe literally jumps for joy.

I can't seem to stop watching it, marveling at how child-like he is in this moment - the joy of a little Japanese boy who dreamed one day of going to the World Cup but probably never dared to dream that he would be the captain that led his team there.  Part of me wonders if I'm the only one who could watch this all day until I think about his mother, who must absolutely adore this moment, when her 29 year old son seems no older than six.

We all grow up from childhood too quickly - we start to pick up burdens that are heavy; we start to concern ourselves with decorum and what is expected of us.  We rarely have those moments of completely giving ourselves up entirely to our joy.

But I confess, it is moments like this that I hope for most for my friends and loved ones.  Those are the moments that make all the tears and the struggles and the heartache worth it.  Those are the moments I remember forever.