Coming here, generally brings me joy. Of course riding my bike or playing music is a pretty reliable way to experience joy. Doing almost anything with my wife, Elena, is joyful. Whether it’s getting frozen yogurt or going to the beach or making diner together, it’s all a reliable sauce of joy.
My adult children, my grandson and now my son’s Fiance. It’s been great getting to know her better. They are definitely such a wonderful match 💕
I will soon meet her Mom too at some point who was also a single parent. My son and his Fiance plan to marry in February when they met just a small ceremony and a gathering of friends after but the bigger more glamorous gathering will be held in the Azores with pictures and a hired chef for a nice dinner with Julia’s family and ours at the Villa next October ✨
I also got to see Tyler and Julia’s dogs last night and they wre so happy to see me, That brought me instant joy! 💖
I watch
as waves crash joyfully against the rocks,
gulls and osprey soar and dance with the winds
high above the earth,
catching currents
just for fun . . .
just for the pure pleasure of it.
Chipmunks and squirrels
where I live
streak through the trees,
chasing each other in play . . .
cosmos and daisies
nod their heads in the summer sunshine.
All I have to do
is look around
at snakes warming themselves on rocks
and turtles lined up on logs in ponds,
faces all turned toward the sun.
Of course there is plenty of suffering . . .
that goes without saying,
but it doesn’t negate the urgency towards joy.
I’ve seen little children in refugee camps
romping with what anyone else would call trash,
playing ball,
laughing,
rejoicing in the movement
of their young bodies.
I hold joy
as sacred . . .
I find it on walks in summer rain,
music that moves me . . .
love experienced
and love given.
It’s there in the corner of the kitchen,
a moving dustball
that turns out to be a little toad,
tenderly washed of its prison of hair and crumbs,
and the joy we both feel
when I release it into the garden
can last in my memory
for a lifetime.
A plant that I thought had died
suddenly showing a leaf or two,
and later a surprising burst of blooms . . .
that gives me joy as well.
So it can be anything
if I am present to its miracle . . .
one thing I have learned
is that even in the midst of sorrow,
joy and gratitude
for having had what is lost
can comfort,
and I call it Grace. ♥
“…even in the midst of sorrow, joy and gratitude for having had what is lost can comfort, and I call it grace.”
This is powerful, Sparrow. For myself, I think I would have to find acceptance around losing my youngest sister, before I could ever feel this way. So I think that finding acceptance is my next step. Thank you, Sparrow. 🩵
I have a plant that I thought had died when we still lived in the country in SC. There was one tiny green leaf on it when we moved from that area, and now, 3 moves later, it’s about a foot tall and settling into its new yard 🌿
My most reliable source of joy is my connection and relationship with the God of my Understanding. Family and friends can complement my joy. However, they come and go. The Divine is always there, even on the darkest of days. ☮️🍂Fal beauty and peace to all. l
Reliable sources of joy. My cats, coffee or tea in the morning, walking as fast as I can with hard rock coming from my earbuds, healthy food, ice cream, water when I’m thirsty, the peace and quiet of my home, talking to my niece and nephews, spending time with my niece and nephews children, doing art with children, having an open hearted conversation, meeting up with friends, being outdoors in the fresh air, watching the sun set. These are the things that come to me in this moment. Thank you for this question. Peace to all on this rainy day. ☀️
First and foremost my son is a reliable source of joy in my life. I read Richard Rohr’s Daily meditation before I came to gratefulness.org to respond to today’s question. As I read the meditation from Rohr’s site, I thought of Joseph and how he reminds that we are kin with all creation. I will post the link for today’s reading. It reminds me that “We are family.” A word that has been used in the meditation from Rohr’s site yesterday and today is “consanguinity.” It’s the state of being related by blood. Mother Earth is a blood relative. Without her, we wouldn’t be here. Link to meditation is below.
There is not doubt in my mind,
dear Carol Ann,
that we are ALL brothers and sisters . . .
we are all connected,
all family–
the same family.
There are no outsiders,
just perceived outsiders.
It’s all almost too great to fathom
and almost too wonderful to know this.
Trouble comes
when someone we think is evil,
different from us in a negative way.
Now THAT is really hard to swallow . . .
that I am that person
and that person is me.
Everything in me
wants to reject that notion,
but that doesn’t change the truth of it.
I have begun a practice of blessing those people in my heart,
for the small and naked,
deeply wounded people they are
and that helps. ♥
Sparrow, I often wonder what it would be like if I could dwell in the present moment instead of popping in and out. I do believe that if I could truly dwell there, a veil would be lifted and I would see with new eyes the oneness of creation. Sometimes, my mind just takes off and it takes me far away and it takes me a while to realize it.
I don’t always dwell in the present moment either,
dear Carol Ann,
but my belief that we are family
is firmly
and always entrenched in my awareness
and in my heart.
Acceptance of what I perceive as evil
and staying mindful in each moment
are works in progress,
but thanks to people like you
I feel inspired
to keep up the effort. ♥
🙏
Spending time with my daughter.
Having coffee with my dear Cousin L.
Classical music, cello music, listening to Jerry G.
Doing yoga, walking outside, Mother Nature, Redwood trees, flowers, flowers, always flowers.
A good book, comedy, good coffee, scones.
Sunshine, the moon & stars.
I could go on & on…. There are many things/areas where I find joy.
🕊️❤️
Good coffee, relaxing or recreating with my husband, spending time on trails, deep conversations with friends, singing, hot baths. This question reminds me that a fall joy is to put pumpkin spice into everything, I need to get on that!
Reliable sources of joy in my life are my dog, watching/seeing/holding babies, leading Bible Studies, my back yard, being at a beach, or in the mountains, family gatherings at my home. watching nature do it’s thing…
Nature and being outside. My sweetheart holding his hand out for mine when we walk anywhere together. Being with my daughters. Riding my bike. My garden. Certain pieces of music.
This could be a long list, however here are the headliners. My husband’s sense of humor and his spacious perspective on life. The respect he shows me everyday. My friends. Movement outdoors. 🍁
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Coming here, generally brings me joy. Of course riding my bike or playing music is a pretty reliable way to experience joy. Doing almost anything with my wife, Elena, is joyful. Whether it’s getting frozen yogurt or going to the beach or making diner together, it’s all a reliable sauce of joy.
You simply sound like a person who lives a joy-filled life, Charlie.
My adult children, my grandson and now my son’s Fiance. It’s been great getting to know her better. They are definitely such a wonderful match 💕
I will soon meet her Mom too at some point who was also a single parent. My son and his Fiance plan to marry in February when they met just a small ceremony and a gathering of friends after but the bigger more glamorous gathering will be held in the Azores with pictures and a hired chef for a nice dinner with Julia’s family and ours at the Villa next October ✨
I also got to see Tyler and Julia’s dogs last night and they wre so happy to see me, That brought me instant joy! 💖
It is my belief
that the world
was made for joy.
I watch
as waves crash joyfully against the rocks,
gulls and osprey soar and dance with the winds
high above the earth,
catching currents
just for fun . . .
just for the pure pleasure of it.
Chipmunks and squirrels
where I live
streak through the trees,
chasing each other in play . . .
cosmos and daisies
nod their heads in the summer sunshine.
All I have to do
is look around
at snakes warming themselves on rocks
and turtles lined up on logs in ponds,
faces all turned toward the sun.
Of course there is plenty of suffering . . .
that goes without saying,
but it doesn’t negate the urgency towards joy.
I’ve seen little children in refugee camps
romping with what anyone else would call trash,
playing ball,
laughing,
rejoicing in the movement
of their young bodies.
I hold joy
as sacred . . .
I find it on walks in summer rain,
music that moves me . . .
love experienced
and love given.
It’s there in the corner of the kitchen,
a moving dustball
that turns out to be a little toad,
tenderly washed of its prison of hair and crumbs,
and the joy we both feel
when I release it into the garden
can last in my memory
for a lifetime.
A plant that I thought had died
suddenly showing a leaf or two,
and later a surprising burst of blooms . . .
that gives me joy as well.
So it can be anything
if I am present to its miracle . . .
one thing I have learned
is that even in the midst of sorrow,
joy and gratitude
for having had what is lost
can comfort,
and I call it Grace. ♥
“…even in the midst of sorrow, joy and gratitude for having had what is lost can comfort, and I call it grace.”
This is powerful, Sparrow. For myself, I think I would have to find acceptance around losing my youngest sister, before I could ever feel this way. So I think that finding acceptance is my next step. Thank you, Sparrow. 🩵
I think you are right,
dear Mary . . .
acceptance is key,
and that is where Grace came in
for me. ♥
I have a plant that I thought had died when we still lived in the country in SC. There was one tiny green leaf on it when we moved from that area, and now, 3 moves later, it’s about a foot tall and settling into its new yard 🌿
You just never know,
dear SunnyPatti,
do you? 🙂
Thank you for sharing your joys, Sparrow.
And that
is just the tip of the iceberg,
dear Barb. 🙂
Oh to BE there, Sparrow. 🙏
You ARE,
dear M2 . . .
look around. ♥
🙏🌱💦
Amen, dear Sparrow
My most reliable source of joy is my connection and relationship with the God of my Understanding. Family and friends can complement my joy. However, they come and go. The Divine is always there, even on the darkest of days. ☮️🍂Fal beauty and peace to all. l
Reliable sources of joy. My cats, coffee or tea in the morning, walking as fast as I can with hard rock coming from my earbuds, healthy food, ice cream, water when I’m thirsty, the peace and quiet of my home, talking to my niece and nephews, spending time with my niece and nephews children, doing art with children, having an open hearted conversation, meeting up with friends, being outdoors in the fresh air, watching the sun set. These are the things that come to me in this moment. Thank you for this question. Peace to all on this rainy day. ☀️
Yes to all of those, including the hard rock!
So much rain the past few days.
☔️
Your joys are so relatable, Mary. 🧡
♥️
It is sunny today but very chilly. We had a frost warning overnight
No chilly weather here, just lots of rain.
Peace to you too, Mary. We’re roasting out here in the sun in the West ☀️.
So sorry to hear that, Drea. I hope the heat breaks soon.
It’s supposed to–thank you Mary.
First and foremost my son is a reliable source of joy in my life. I read Richard Rohr’s Daily meditation before I came to gratefulness.org to respond to today’s question. As I read the meditation from Rohr’s site, I thought of Joseph and how he reminds that we are kin with all creation. I will post the link for today’s reading. It reminds me that “We are family.” A word that has been used in the meditation from Rohr’s site yesterday and today is “consanguinity.” It’s the state of being related by blood. Mother Earth is a blood relative. Without her, we wouldn’t be here. Link to meditation is below.
https://cac.org/daily-meditations/creation-as-kin/
There is not doubt in my mind,
dear Carol Ann,
that we are ALL brothers and sisters . . .
we are all connected,
all family–
the same family.
There are no outsiders,
just perceived outsiders.
It’s all almost too great to fathom
and almost too wonderful to know this.
Trouble comes
when someone we think is evil,
different from us in a negative way.
Now THAT is really hard to swallow . . .
that I am that person
and that person is me.
Everything in me
wants to reject that notion,
but that doesn’t change the truth of it.
I have begun a practice of blessing those people in my heart,
for the small and naked,
deeply wounded people they are
and that helps. ♥
Sparrow, I often wonder what it would be like if I could dwell in the present moment instead of popping in and out. I do believe that if I could truly dwell there, a veil would be lifted and I would see with new eyes the oneness of creation. Sometimes, my mind just takes off and it takes me far away and it takes me a while to realize it.
I don’t always dwell in the present moment either,
dear Carol Ann,
but my belief that we are family
is firmly
and always entrenched in my awareness
and in my heart.
Acceptance of what I perceive as evil
and staying mindful in each moment
are works in progress,
but thanks to people like you
I feel inspired
to keep up the effort. ♥
🙏
Spending time with my daughter.
Having coffee with my dear Cousin L.
Classical music, cello music, listening to Jerry G.
Doing yoga, walking outside, Mother Nature, Redwood trees, flowers, flowers, always flowers.
A good book, comedy, good coffee, scones.
Sunshine, the moon & stars.
I could go on & on…. There are many things/areas where I find joy.
🕊️❤️
Yes to all of that!
🌻🌷🌼
Oh yes flowers! 🌺
Good coffee, relaxing or recreating with my husband, spending time on trails, deep conversations with friends, singing, hot baths. This question reminds me that a fall joy is to put pumpkin spice into everything, I need to get on that!
Oh yes, pumpkin spice!!! 🍂
Reliable sources of joy in my life are my dog, watching/seeing/holding babies, leading Bible Studies, my back yard, being at a beach, or in the mountains, family gatherings at my home. watching nature do it’s thing…
Brand new beings are surely joy. Thank you, Katrina.
The ocean, oh yes the ocean!
And babies, nothing in this world like a baby!
Nature and being outside. My sweetheart holding his hand out for mine when we walk anywhere together. Being with my daughters. Riding my bike. My garden. Certain pieces of music.
This could be a long list, however here are the headliners. My husband’s sense of humor and his spacious perspective on life. The respect he shows me everyday. My friends. Movement outdoors. 🍁
Oh yes, my husband is very funny too! I love to laugh, and I love to spend time with anyone who loves to laugh!
My kids, my cat, Nature, music, comedy
Cats!
Right there
at the top of my list,
dear Michele! =^..^=
How are you doing, Sparrow, after the recent passing of your dear cat?
Animals, domestic and wild. Watching the amazing and cute ways they behave always brings me joy.
I think just going outside for whatever reason, riding my bike around, but also being cozy inside when it’s cold outside.
Practicing Yoga. Teaching Yoga. Surfing. My husband. Our dogs. Live music. Dancing.
Yes, SunnyPatti, live music and dancing!!!
Looking forward to getting more of that in my life next week! We have tickets for the same tour we saw in Charlotte last spring 😆