rejoicing

My mother-in-law always has the best stories. This week, as we stopped by their house, creating our little tornado of destruction on our way back home, she told us a story that has been sticking with me ever since...
She told us about a little lady who since she had been put in palliative care was constantly being asked by caring friends and relatives, "How are you?"
Her response has always been the same, "Oh, i'm rejoicing."
They made a little wooden sign for her room with that word on it.
What a beautiful reminder for me today - Sometimes the valley is bleak, long, painful -
But we will never lose our reason to ever be -
rejoicing.