The giving and taking of Joy.

For us - life revolves around what brings us joy. We have made a conscious effort to focus on the things we love and try to set aside the things and people which take us in the opposite direction of what brings us joy.

I know that for both Shane and I, this is very much a trigger response from our past lives and the experience of having your joy taken away or sabotaged constantly. These days we embrace the notion that you own your happiness and pursue it with vigour rather than being content to be unhappy and allow others to sap the happiness from your life. It's one of the things we are very conscious of with each other, valuing those things that bring both ourselves joy and and also highly respecting that which brings our partner great joy.

So I suppose it's not unreasonable to admit that when I see it happen with other people too, I get somewhat defensive. I don't understand why people are so thoughtless at times. Criticism has it's place in the world as long as it's constructive, but condemning others just because they have a different preference or view is just uncalled for especially in a public space. Making others feel bad for their choices isn't the right of any individual in my book. We are all entitled to our opinions but it's in such poor character to judge anyone simply because theirs differs from yours. Through difference we grow and those who refuse to embrace this are the poorer for it.

And so recently I have seen another side to a few people which has been disappointing. It's interesting how you may have never met someone but know that you really never care to just from what they have written.