I wanted to write about Joy today.
I still do.
There is Joy. I delight in my life and location every day. But I'm not necessarily feeling Joy as much as I pretend to. Mostly, I'm just tired.
Hmm...
Moving on. Joy amid grief.
What, Joy?
Yes. Joy.
At my sister's memorial weekend this past January, there was a delightful evening when we all hung out in the lobby of the hotel most of the family were staying at. Drinks, snacks, bonding, some occasional smoking outside. It was really a Joyous, raucous time amid all the sadness and tears of the events earlier in the day.
Brett and I also had some weird "Joy" of being the foreigners landing on once-familiar soil and getting baffled by all the snack options in the tollway plazas. How many varieties of chips do we need? All of the them. The answer is all of them. But we are not used to that, and I laughed a lot at my own indecisiveness.
When I had returned in September for young nephew's funeral, I stayed a couple days later than the rest of the family, and was treated to a Joyous reunion of college friends. (My big brother and his wife met at our college, so many of their old friends were known to me.)
It was an evening of Joy, while forgetting about the trauma of the prior week.
Now with the world in lockdown, isolation, pandemic outside, etc. I have a lot to be happy about and I know that.
I have times of Joy. I do. It's hard to feel it through the fog sometimes, though.
Wow. This turned dark somehow. Sorry about that.
What about you? I would love for you to share some of the things bringing you Joy today, or this week, or throughout this weird time we are in. What's Joyous for you?
I've started a new thing with mum where i give her a leg massage before she goes to bed. I'm enjoying the time spent connecting with her. Most of the time I'm at work and she has a companion / caregiver who lives with us. With the lockdown I'm having a lot more opportunity to actually DO things with her and for her, instead of just living in the same house. So that's something I'm enjoying right now.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! My husband and I used to go out for pizza and "check in" once a week. Now we kinda sorta check in as we go, but it's not the same. That one-on-one, focused attention time is precious. I know your mum appreciates it!
DeleteI know what you mean. Just because things are scary right now doesn't mean you can't find joy. I love laughing at funerals. When people get together and remember the funny stories of the one who's passed.
ReplyDeleteToday my joy is in learning that a package I sent on the 31st of March arrived at its destination today. I had thought it was irretrievably lost. And I'm actually on the computer without reading glasses. I got a new contact prescription in January, and it wiped out my closer vision. But today I'm seeing better.
Yes! My 8yo niece told me today that she wrote a letter to her classmate. They see each other during their Zoom classroom, but I think it's sweet to write. Maybe letters will become an actual thing again!
DeleteI'm glad you included Joy as a topic regarding grief. I need reminded of that often. Thankfully, I have a daughter who finds joyous moments to share, and it reminds me I can find joy, too, if I look.
ReplyDeleteIt's okay to be happy. It's okay to be sad, too. Grief is a process, but I won't let it define me.
DeleteCherish your daughter and enJoy your time together!
We can't be sad and anxious all the time, for so many days, joy is a necessity ;) Joy is everywhere by yhe way, I love my husband and my house, it's a safe place for me, so life is good for us. I fear for my family (one of my sister is not very aware of the danger), my friends, my colleagues. But hey, having fun is good for the health ;)
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Same here. I'm happy at home. Husband and I are safe, but I wonder about my family back in the US. I can't worry about them, though. That is too expensive an emotion. They are adults and responsible for themselves.
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