As I thought about it (after the idea was put in my head, by a friend), I began seeing "Happy" New Year as lacking. Yes, we all want happiness in our lives....but the original 14th century meaning of the word "happy" meant lucky, favored by fortune, prosperous. From HAP...meaning chance or fortune. In the 1500s, the meaning changed a bit... to great wealth AND silly. (source: Online Etymology Dictionary)
As words were translated from Greek or Latin, a majority of the European words for "happy" were first translated to mean LUCKY (Lucky Charms?).
The Welsh, however, translated it to mean WISE.
During World War ll, "happy" was attached to other words... such as "bomb-happy" which was to mean "dazed or frazzled from stress".
There is a lot more to this...and you can read the ETYMOLOGY DICTIONARY for more info (if you are a Geek like me).
So after reading all this, I decided that I wanted a year filled with JOY!
The origins of the word JOY come from "feelings of pleasure and delight", "source of pleasure or happiness", "to rejoice".
So this year...2013...I want to REJOICE!
OK...enough of the etymology lesson...and it's time for a question...
What brings you JOY???
Here is one thing that brings me lots of joy...
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| My granddaughter and her daddy. |
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| My wonderful husband. |
and another...
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| My three sons. |
But most of all....THIS...
The knowledge that God is in control...the He will guide me and lift me and love me...come what may.
May you have a JOY-FILLED New Year!!!
Jane
