Joy, from Melissa

You probably know the Little House books, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Did you know that prequels have been written about Laura's grandmother and great-grandmother? Melissa Wiley wrote these wonderful books, in two series, called The Martha Years and The Charlotte Years.

I was so happy, a couple years ago, to discover that Melissa Wiley is a Catholic homeschooling mother with a blog. She's such a good writer, I almost think she should charge us to read her blog. Of course she won't, and of course I'm only joking, Melissa...about charging us, but not about how much I enjoy your writing.

Yesterday's post on Melissa's blog, for March 22, is so inspiring that I'm excited to share it with you. It's not a subject that you would necessarily think of when you think of joy: the serious illness of a child. At first glance, it reminds me of St. Francis of Assisi's definition of joy. But it is also about making a decision to be joyful, and shows how our own joyful attitudes can bring joy to our children. I hope you will run right over there to read it.