Where’s Your Joy?
On a scale from one to ten with ten being the highest, my daily pain level is usually at about a four and some days it’s two or more times that. When I was in church on Sunday I could hardly hold the song book or drag myself up from the pew. After Mass I told my friend Al that in times like that, it is difficult to be joyful.
Al’s advice was to keep going, keep smiling, and stay positive. He said that if I don’t do that I will fall deeper, and it will be so much more difficult to pull myself up again.
Al knows what he is talking about. He has had two bouts of cancer. At one point, he was frighteningly ill. Throughout it all, Al did remain positive. I don’t ever recall seeing him without a smile and a kind, gentle word.
When I returned home from church I started a list of things that make me happy. Simply writing the list helped, and every time I add to it, which is all the time, or read it over, I feel good. Many of the entries would be on your list too. They are about friends, family, and the little things in life we don’t always appreciate. There’s nothing like a hot shower in the morning or after a hard day, but not everyone has hot water. Some don’t have running water. And many don’t even have access to clean water.
We are greatly blessed and stopping to count those blessings from time-to-time is good medicine. Like the song from the Sound of Music, when we feel down, simply think of our favorite things.
What’s on your list?
Here are just a few of the items that make me happy:
Kissing my grandsons’ silky, baby cheeks
Walks with my husband
Photos of my grandsons
Hanging out with my children
Siblings I can count on
Hot cup of tea
Chocolate
Flower gardens
Island Park
Writing
Reading a good book
Quilting
My faith
Cooking for loved ones
Art museums
My comfy bed
Lunch with girlfriends
Yoga
Mass
Praying the Rosary
Music
The smell of fresh-baked bread
My home
Strolling through my little town
A glass of Chardonnay
A story that makes me belly laugh
The smooth ride of my new car
Creamy cheeses
An interesting magazine
Witnessing a kindness between strangers
A massage
Playful pets
Having a large extended family
Having many, many dear friends
Walking a beach
Sunshine
Laying out at a pool
Learning something new
The ability to see, smell, hear, talk, walk
The magic community
A job well done
Reliable service people
The majestic mountains
Warm Breezes
Travel
The French Market
A free-day
Finding something that is lost
Accomplishing a goal
Knowing I am not alone