Where do I begin to tell of the role “Joy” has played in every area of my life? Well let’s start at the beginning...I was born in San Antonio, Texas on an army base. I was a happy child, but by the age of 5 I had my first experience with fear and anxiety.

At such a young age, I did not understand what alcoholism was or realize it had become a disease my Dad had succumbed to. All I knew was that he was gone and would not be returning any time soon. I could tell my mom was very sad and scared, but she showed me something I will never forget: Joy in the face of Adversity.

We left Hampton, Virginia and moved back to live with my grandparents in Chickamauga, Georgia.

Maw-Maw and Pap-Paw were precious to us and joy began to once again be a way of life. I remember my Pap-paw would give me a quarter for scratching his head as he leaned back in his recliner. He taught me to love Tarzan and cheese toast, but more than anything he taught me that family has your back, that family loves you in the face of inconvenience. I saw firsthand the joy found in the unconditional love of family and quickly realized that it was everything!

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Lisa Kell has taught in Christian elementary schools for the last 30 years. She studied literature at City University of New York. Lisa lives with her husband in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida.