I recently had to return some items that I had purchased from one of those big chain department stores. I was dreading some sort of confrontation over the returned items. I kept fingering my receipt as I walked into the store, gearing myself up for a negative encounter. As I walked up to the return item counter, a friend I hadn't seen for a long time came running up to me with a smile and joyous handshake. It turns out that she was an employee of this store. I was so happy to see her that I forgot my anxiety completely. I walked up to the counter, gave the clerk my receipt and the returned items, and the exchange was quickly and easily accomplished. I walked out of the store in a happy daze. What happened to the expected painful confrontation? It dissolved in the unexpected joy of seeing my friend. Often in our life, something intervenes in the midst of what we think is going to be an unpleasant experience. The antici-pated discord dissolves into harmony and peace, and we are left with a dazed happiness. Break through to joy now.