Love requires joy. After decades mired in gloom—from failed entrepreneurial ventures to society’s unraveling—a father learns that rewiring his brain isn’t enough. His daughter’s persistence teaches him that joy requires moment-by-moment consciousness: a gift of gratitude and healing.

Paul Wesley Myers was killed January 2, 1978, chasing a golf ball onto Highway 1. Born tongue-tied, and while only a toddler understood only by siblings, he thrived nonetheless. From small-town life on the outskirts of Army bases to Pattonville’s rough streets, Paul’s humor and grace made him beloved.