Every thing changes...the only thing that we can know for sure... the only thing that we can 'hold on to' is the truth. Direct experience of impermanence is the gateway to liberation.
We develop appreciative joy (Mudita) by focusing on the happiness in others' lives and our life, leading also to a sense of gratitude. Joy and happiness then serve as links that lead onward to liberation.
Looking directly at the original text in the Satipatthana Sutta on the third foundation of mindfulness, how does the Buddha instruct us and what supports this contemplation.