"What brought you joy this week?” I ask at the beginning of all my storytelling classes.
And my students, generous souls that they are, dig around in their brains, past the gunk and the hard and the OOF, and find something. Lately their joy has ranged from “got a great deal on a Facebook Marketplace transaction” to “I got to class on time!”
Asking this question week after week prompts us all to think more about joy. And although the world is chock-fucking-full of despair, there’s joy too. You just gotta look for it.
Mary Oliver said, “Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.”
Today I say, Tell me about joy, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Nah, I’ll tell you mine first. Current joys:
The cat purring next to me while I work on my novel Picking up Title IX stamps at the post office JIGSAW PUZZLES (more on this soon)
I know it’s Monday and joy feels like the farthest thing from your mind. But I hope you’ll take a minute and see if you can locate some recent joy. When you do, I’d love if you shared it with me and others (click comment or see the discussion). The discussion will allow you to meet some joys outside your own, which also feels pretty good. Doesn’t that sound like a nice way to start the week?
As an aging parent spending time this week with my adult children brings me a great joy. They are smart and funny and talented young women. I say young, but they are feeling their 50s.
My one and a half year old nephew has started doing this thing where if you say "cheek" he will kiss you on both cheeks like a very proper gentleman. Who knows where he picked it up!
Reading The Little Blue Truck Valentine book to my 2 1/2 year old grandson, Gus, and sharing his joy and excitement as we turn each page to see which animal Little Blue Truck will visit next and watching him find and point to the animals and colored Valentine on each page. Valentine isn't especially important to me but having him on my lap, nestled into my chest, pointing with his little fingers and laughing uproariously at the pink pig with the pink valentine brings me joy.
As an aging parent spending time this week with my adult children brings me a great joy. They are smart and funny and talented young women. I say young, but they are feeling their 50s.
Age is so relative! Sounds like it was a good time 💜
My one and a half year old nephew has started doing this thing where if you say "cheek" he will kiss you on both cheeks like a very proper gentleman. Who knows where he picked it up!
This is ADORABLE.
Reading The Little Blue Truck Valentine book to my 2 1/2 year old grandson, Gus, and sharing his joy and excitement as we turn each page to see which animal Little Blue Truck will visit next and watching him find and point to the animals and colored Valentine on each page. Valentine isn't especially important to me but having him on my lap, nestled into my chest, pointing with his little fingers and laughing uproariously at the pink pig with the pink valentine brings me joy.
If only we could bottle kid laughter...good for what ails ya!