Last night I was reunited with one of my aunts who took care of me when I was an infant in Vietnam.
Until this evening, we had not seen each other for over 40 years.
It was such a joy to reconnect with her and meet her children and grandchildren. Part of the unexpected joy on this 18-month #JoyfulLivingProject journey across America is reconnecting with family and friends.
It’s too easy to become immersed in our lives that we forget the joyful relationships in our lives.
Who is a family or friend you haven’t been in touch with within a while? I invite you to reach out to them today to say hi. I’m sure this will bring them joy and you as well.
This morning, my aunt prepared a special homemade bowl of beef noodle soup for breakfast. We shared a wonderful conversation catching up on 40 years. Then she took me on a tour of her garden and showed me the chili peppers she was growing.

Wow! What a wonderful story!! She beaming in the photos and video. It’s obvious that you’ve made her joyous with this visit! This world is filled with good people. Yasmin Nguyen - here’s a joy maker!
Derek Pangelinan
Those of you who are regular visitors to this page have heard me talk about my new friend Yasmin Nguyen, who is doing an 18-month long joyful living project involving lots of travel and wonderful human interactions. I highly recommend Yasmin's work! Today, he's shared a beautiful story about reconnecting with an aunt after 40 years, and the loving gifts she shared with him - check it out ❤. Food and family are love ❤. Such a wonderful opportunity to deepen an essential and long standing family tie! Thanks for this thoughtful and beautiful inspiration this morning, Yasmin!
Julie Zenterra