Every child goofs around on the stairs at some point in his life, whether it’s zooming toy cars down the railing or sledding down the steps on a blanket.
I will withhold comment on whether or not one or both of these things have actually happened in our household.
One Sunday after Mass, Daddy caught our youngest son half-sliding, half-falling down the stairs, most likely because . . . well, it was fun.
“Son, don’t fall down the stairs in your dress clothes,” Daddy told him.
“Yeah,” I chimed in, “Put some regular clothes on and THEN fall down the stairs.”
This is the tongue-in-cheek humor our poor children have had to endure in our household since they were babies — mostly from my husband, but lately also from me.
It’s okay if you feel sorry for them, because clearly we don’t. Especially if they are fooling around on the stairs.
But the good thing is, I’ve been learning not to take myself so seriously all the time.
It’s something my husband has been trying to help me with ever since we met in high school.
Discovering happiness
It’s taken more than 30 years for me to learn, but deep down, I’m discovering a kind of happiness that lies in letting go, forgetting oneself, and focusing only on what our Lord puts in front of me for the day.
Grace from our Lord lies in simplicity.
This is why children are generally so happy.
“To be little. The great daring is always that of children. Who cries for the moon? Who won’t stop at danger to get what he wants?” said St. Josemaria Escriva (The Way, #857). “Put in such a child a great deal of God’s grace, the desire to do God’s will, a great love for Jesus, and all the human knowledge he is capable of acquiring, and you’ll have a likeness of the apostles of today just as God undoubtedly wants them.”
To be such a childlike apostle is to live day to day by our Lord’s grace alone, love a lot, . . . and laugh.
Trusting our Lord
Even great problems can be simplified by openly entrusting them to our Lord, knowing deep in my heart — truly trusting — that the outcome is our Lord’s will.
The difference is, honestly, a matter of trusting that our Lord will give me exactly what I need, whether it is the answer to my prayer or a lesson in humility.
As our Lord told St. Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Aiming for joy
The happiness I currently experience is a gift, and I pray for lasting joy that will reside within my heart always, no matter the outward circumstances of my life.
Happiness is different from a constant deep joy that is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, but happiness is a start, and I am grateful for its simplicity.
That’s not to say that I will be sledding down the stairs on a blanket anytime soon, but my family knows that if I do, I will at least make sure not to ruin my Sunday best.
Julianne Nornberg, mother of four children, is a teacher’s aide at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Waunakee.