Happiness is extremely contagious!

I'm not usually one who gushes, but maybe you will forgive me this one time. A dear friend of mine is experiencing boundless joy, which comforts and delights my spirit like a warm and snuggly blanket when he shares it with me.

This old gal is not one to use the term "friend" lightly. My friends are cherished and valued highly. We accept each other as we are with no expectations of receiving anything but respect, honor, and a closeness of spirit that is difficult to put into words. Without friends there would be a horrible void in my life and heart.

This particular friend is a fine young man whom I admire for his spiritual faith, steadfast honesty, moral forthrightness, and his wonderful sense of humor. A friend like this helps me to trust that his generation is doing just fine, thank you.
Although he is the same age as my eldest grand-son, he's wise beyond his years.

And, he's in love!

There may be many dragons for him to slay while he strives to set a course for the rest of his life. His fair maiden, whom I like very much without having met her, will prevent him from leaping into the future without common sense as his guide. His happiness is palpable - impossible for him to stifle while sometimes being amazingly awe inspiring to him! There is a newly acquired softness about him these days that he cannot disguise.

He's not a teenager and is aware that life can play strange tricks on us as we plod along trying to do the best we can with what we have been given. This is not just "puppy love" or a romanticized version of love - this is the real thing that has grabbed his heart, mind, and soul with a velvet cord of compassion, concern, and even to some extent, practicality. Those dragons are lurking in the shadows to strike him down - it's up to him how he handles them!