Japanese Candy and Airport Nuns
How to create a joyful family.
In my family, I’m not the fun parent—I’m the organized one who gets things done. Which sounds riveting when you say it like that. But thankfully, my husband balances things out. He’s fun at work and even more so at home. For instance, back when he taught sixth grade, he orchestrated daily ambushes for the UPS man with his students, armed with Nerf guns. And this was at a Classical Christian school. That poor delivery guy was just trying to do his job.
Even after transitioning to a full-time administrative role, his mischievous streak didn’t fade, though it mellowed. Recently, my husband stocked the school vending machine with Japanese candy in random slots just to give the kids a delightful surprise. And… they were surprised.
He’s the kind of person who genuinely loves meeting new people. As a self-proclaimed introvert, I find this both amusing and baffling. My philosophy is more along the lines of, “Why bother people? We’re all fine over here in our own lanes, right?”
Take, for example, a recent encounter at an airport where he met a group of Roman Catholic nuns. One of the nuns turned to our daughter Abby, who has Down syndrome, and warmly introduced herself, “I’m Sister Claire.”
Abby, feeling herself on familiar ground now, pointed to her sister and said, “And this is my sister, Charlotte!”
The truth is, we have a fun family. Our home is full of joy—and noise. One of my older sons recently commented that our family is like one of his favorite friend groups. We’ve prioritized trying to create an environment where our people genuinely want to be with us. To tell a good story with our lives, you need to offer something they can’t find anywhere else—not in the world, not in a Taylor Swift playlist.
A joyful home doesn’t mean adopting a “fun” or upbeat personality, like a bad costume. The goal isn’t to become cheap knockoffs of a Nickelodeon show. Some families manage to be fun but lack real, genuine fellowship—the kind that comes when sins are acknowledged, dealt with through the blood of Christ, and then forgotten forever.
On the other hand, some families seem to do everything “right,” yet their kids can’t wait to leave. They’ve somehow bought into the idea that fun is a shallow compromise, probably a left-wing victory.
The key is to stay in fellowship with each other and with the Lord, living a beautiful, spontaneous, and joyful life with your people. Be the story they can’t put down.
Sounds like a great guy! 😉