Thursday, February 19, 2015

Where Do You Find Joy?

Where do you find joy?

It's really easy to find joy in the big and the wow parts of life, don't you think?
But can you find joy in the insignificant? Inside your head? In the everyday?

I find joy in the unfinished - an unfinished written piece, book or project (a reminder of my life's journey evolving.



I find joy in the hope that possibility brings. "Dwell in possibility"..... Emily Dickerson is a usual forethought.
I find joy in the different - design aesthetics, points of view, self-expression, etc.

I find joy lost in the doing, especially creating.



I find joy out on location - a bookstore, craft fair, nature, anyplace that sparks the creativity within.



I find joy in a suggestion, conversation or human connection.

More important, I find joy in being still and quiet, lost inside my thoughts. I find joy listening to my inner cheerleader voice rooting me on - an internal pep talk so to speak - "YES YOU CAN! KEEP GOING, YOU CAN DO IT!" - the antithesis of the negative voices that used to consume me, robbing me of my best self.

On a good day, and sometimes on a not so good day, I can even find tiny bits of joy in the midst of the plain, ordinary moments that have little or no wow factor. That's joy at it's best and when I am most thankful and happy.

How about you? Where do you find joy?







Thursday, February 5, 2015

Gifted Memories


Can you guess what's in this box? 

 

Something really special that money can't buy.


It's a gift for a childhood friend. It goes without saying, her name is Patricia:)


Ready to see what's inside?  Drum roll please.



Letters, her letters to me during our college days way back when postage was 13 cents. Yes, I totally dated myself and I could care less. It was a time when long distance calling was cost prohibitive. 


During our last conversation, she told me she had little recollection of her college years. Immediately, I thought to myself, I could fix that. I can gift her her younger memories. Now that takes regifting to a whole new level:)

I kept her letters - a written account of her life, documented by her. I had a blast re-reading them, laughing and grinning through each one. If you have any record of your younger days, I'm sure you can relate. Hilarious!



It's sad that letters are no longer a part of our lives though; less intentional texting, social media exchange and email have rendered this very intentional form of correspondence obsolete. Once deleted, our very abbreviated digital correspondence disappears from our lives and lingers in the abyss of cyberspace.



But tangible letters are a joy to keep around and re-read, re-connect and re-visit. It's precious evidence of our lives much like the photos we take. 


How about you. Do you have a written account of your younger days or any part of your life?