CARLY SIMON

“Surprised by Joy”

For the last few days, I’ve been reading a murder mystery by Louise Penny, The Long Way Home. Penny describes a bench located at the top of a hill overlooking the fictional village of Three Pines, where Armand Gamache has the habit of sitting in the mornings and reading. On the back of this wood bench, someone has etched “Surprised by Joy.” The novel’s characters mull over what this phrase means, what it describes, and who could have put it on the bench. I don’t believe I’ll forget this phrase anytime soon because I know what it feels like to be surprised by joy.