FINDING JOY IN SMALL MOMENTS

      Given the worrisome times we are living through, it is surely harder to find moments of joy right now. I believe it was Heather Cox Richardson who said, "Joy is an act of resistance." So there you have it. If you see joy, it can be a push-back against fascism!

 

   And Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. wrote, "Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God." 

   To top that off, our favorite poet Mary Oliver once wrote, "If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don't hesitate. Give in to it."

 

   Here are a few things I recently found which give me that soul-lifting emotion:

--Bluebirds at my window feeder flocking in to eat the bluebird suet nuggets. I have counted up to 10 trying to get in and feed, muscling each other out of the way with their brilliant wings.

 

--Our Rough Coat Jack Russell Terrier snuggling up to Rick on his green chair, quite a tight fit! On a cold day, she lays her head on Rick's lap. Weren't we lucky to get a lap dog!

 

--Reading Psalm 1where the Psalmist tells us that a man who follows the law of the Lord is "like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in due season and whose leaf does not wither." I am all for not having my "leaves" wither.

--Meeting up with two dear friends, whom we have not seen in ages, at the Hotel Northampton for an early dinner. Friends definitely spark joy in my book, as well as eating out!

--Reading an article in the New Yorker which my Aunt Benny had written in the 1940s while in the WASPS, training to fly planes from their factories to the airfields. It is funny, insightful, and gives me a glimpse into the courage and verve of a woman I wish I had known better. 

--Finding pictures of my same Aunt Benny all dressed in her 1942 flight clothes like some massive, leather-clad bear, leaning against her open-cockpit plane. Her account in a second New Yorker article spoke of being in Germany right after the Armistice and the tension and dislike of Americans. Reading history gives me joy, esp. accounts from World War II.

 

--Hugging my honey in his cozy flannel shirt.

--Watching the leaping flames in our fireplace and smelling that lovely wood-smoke.

--Ordering groceries from Big Y to be delivered by wonderful people. The shoppers (many of them apparently immigrants) carry the full bags all the way up our 20 steps to the deck, bless them. I am happy to see any venue which employs immigrants these days.

--Having dear Ben and Amy up for a four-day visit over her school vacation where they: took ski lessons, went for Hot Yoga in Noho, did early morning runs, and made dinner for us one night with delicious sparkling wine.

--Hearing from Ben that his independent counseling practice is growing. He does Telehealth and has licenses in many states. 

--Reading about the courage and determination of Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie forcing the government to release more of the Epstein files. Maybe someday we will know the truth? Perhaps the release of the unredacted files from European countries will shift it.

 

--Making a delicious pasta recipe from Rachel Pauls' free website (she does many low-FODMAP and IBS-safe recipes) of fresh lemon juice and zest cooked with white wine and artichokes over low-carb pasta. (Carba-nada from Amazon.)

--Listening to HCR tell us that there WILL be an end to this terrible regime. It will come to an end in time as all autocratic governments do. I may not be here to see it, but this gives me  hope.  

  I hope some of these pieces of joy spark joy in your life as well. It is crucial for our mental health and stability to take a break from news, look for hope and happiness, and maybe even start writing down in a journal 5 bits of joy you find daily. It could help!