My experience with joy has been that it can feel fleeting unless I make a point of acknowledging its gift. In that spirit, I offer here an incomplete list of some of the ways joy has slipped in through the side window of my world.
Spring is my favourite time of year. This year, it arrived ever so slowly, with not nearly as much sunshine as I’d like. And then, in a week’s time, we went from a surprise snowstorm to summer-like temperatures. We seemed to have skipped right past the gently warming days with the slowly emerging buds and sprouts.
Even though the blooming is happening so much more quickly than I’d like, full bloom today and fading flowers tomorrow, seeing flowers always brings me joy. It feels like the winter lasted far longer than it respectably should have, so the growth and bloom is delightful.
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A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a high school graduation ceremony for someone dear to me. At the dinner, the graduates handed out awards to their classmates for a variety of accomplishments, and I was pleasantly surprised at how inclusive the were. It wasn’t the “parade of the popular” that I have witnessed so often. Later I mentioned this to my son, who is now in his mid-twenties, and he commented that the generation just younger than he is seems to give more care and attention to including everyone.
That made my heart soar. With division and othering becoming ever more rampant in our culture and politics, the fact that the almost-adults among us value inclusion gives me hope for our world.
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Recently, I found in my mailbox a flyer informing me that the city will be planting a tree on the boulevard beside our house to replace the tree they had to remove last summer. Trees delight me, and I’m so excited to see what is going to show up (almost) in our yard.
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Speaking of trees, tone week of above-normal temperatures has caused all of the buds on the trees to burst into full leaf in a matter of days. I’d never before been aware of how the tree in our front yard screens my view. Rather than being aware of the vehicles on the street, I now just see bright green leaves. I also find that my gaze is drawn upward as it drifts from my tree to neighbouring trees. Behind my tree and off the right is a view of four other trees, all of different varieties, and the variations in colouring and shape are perfect to induce daydreaming, which could also be called “creative staring”. Some of my best ideas come while I’m watching leaves.
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On my daily walk by the neighbourhood ponds, newly hatched goslings are learning how to find food in the grass. Seeing those yellow balls of fluff bobbing around never fails to make me smile.
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I’ve been so delighted lately by the antics of small humans when I’m out and about in our community. Whether it’s a toddler dancing to music in the park, or a slightly older one hitching a ride on big sister’s bike while Grandpa pulls a riderless tiny bike on a leash, I find myself laughing aloud. Their innocence is the perfect antidote to the ongoing heaviness in the adult world.
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A recent excursion to the hardware store with my favourite person brought me in contact with some truly beautiful plants that I would not have sought out otherwise. The shape and texture of the blossoms stopped me as I was looking for something else, and I knew they would continue to bring me joy in a planter on my deck.
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Seeing my irises bloom is one of my favourite parts of spring. I have nurtured several varieties around my yard, so the blooming extends through most of the spring season. Just as one type is fading, another is unfolding luxuriously.
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And yes, it’s open water fishing season again! Need I say more?
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I would love to hear from you in the comments how joy has shown up for you recently. Was it a surprise? Did noticing one experience of joy help you notice others?
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