Dear Readers,

Welcome to the eleventh issue of Mason’s Road Literary Arts Journal. It’s been quite a journey since Mason’s Road first began, and I’m proud of how far we’ve come. We have published strong and inspiring pieces in fiction, poetry, and craft essay, as well as asking some of our most important questions to well-established authors around the globe. One of the aspects to the journal is finding the right theme that will bring in wonderful pieces to consider for publication. We were thrilled with the submissions we received that brought new insights on Joy.

Deciding on our theme was not an easy task. Everyone had very creative ideas but there was something about the word “joy” that jumped out to us. Perhaps it’s because writing about this topic is not easy. Anne Frank once said, “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” Even on our worst days, it’s hard to find the little things that make us smile. I’m a firm believer that there is no sorrow without joy, and there is no joy without sorrow.

We searched high and low for pieces that made us cry, laugh, and feel comfort from reading a delicious sentence we wanted engraved in our minds. We wished to escape our everyday struggles of raising families, paying bills, and running errands. We needed to be reminded that there are joys in this life we may have overlooked, and we all strived to see and feel them again.

I’m confident that the selections we have chosen for this issue will show the light we’ve been searching for since February. We can find joys in the smallest of things, such as witnessing a rainbow after a nasty storm, or coming across a photograph of a deceased loved one. I hope you enjoy the newest issue of Mason’s Road and help us spread the joy!

Happy Reading,

Jessie Reyna

Co-Editor in Chief