These are incredibly hard days on the planet and today I want to give a shout-out to the JOY in my heart, something the fascists will never, ever take from me. They want us cowering in fear and apathy, quietly sinking into dark and joyless pits of despair, but it’s vital to stay connected to all the good stuff in this world. Here’s a list of some things bringing me joy today:
- Running for the first time in months (not to mention at sea level!) and even though my joints were creaky and my pace pretty darned slow, it made me SO freaking happy. Joyous, even!
- Singer/songwriter Valerie June‘s new release aptly titled “Joy, Joy!” which is catchy and uplifting (check it out here).
- Watching the rain fall as the sun shines.
- Putting on jeans still warm from the dryer.
- Leaving on my walk to the library after posting this, knowing I’ll get answers to my questions because librarians rule! They take care of patrons and books alike!
I’d love to hear about what’s bringing you joy these days so please share in the comments!
Tracy Abell 
That’s great, Tracy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s become a discipline over the past decade or so, being mindful of those moments of joy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a discipline that makes for healthier living 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful Tracy…you’re a runner again…My joy is in the pool doing laps and when sometimes I can’t swim for weeks, when I finally click back into the rhythm again it gets me so high..fills me with joy!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, I’m so glad you swim and feel joy! I LOVE swimming and used to do laps daily until the chlorine became too much. I sometimes dream I’m swimming.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohhh I dream I’m swimming all the time. I do a meditation type rhyme when I swim.. you listen to it here oh yes. like your runing it brings me deep joy and is a great de-stresser!!! https://karimahoisan.com/2023/06/07/lap-trance/
LikeLiked by 1 person
WOW! I just listened to your rhyme and it’s both basic and complex. I don’t know if I could hold all that in my head as I swim, but love that it’s your approach!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I think we all invent our mantras to lose ourselves in the miles..be it land or on water..:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so angry at those who are taking our joy but you’re so right that even then, there’s still joy, EVERYWHERE! So glad you got to go for a run! I used to run but now I swim at our awesome community rec center (easier on the hips). I also love my library.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay for swimming which really is so wonderful and relaxing! Chlorine bothers me too much so I had to stop. And yay for library love! I had such a good visit there yesterday. May your day include library and laps, Mara!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Tracy. Have a great weekend!
LikeLike
Good Post
LikeLike
Thank you for stopping by!
LikeLike
thanks for this, Tracy. ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Pam, for stopping by to share in my joy. Sending wishes for many glimpses of joy in your life!
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤
LikeLike
The sign is hilarious! I assume people have gotten caught in the rain? So considerate of the library to provide paper towels.
I celebrate with you in your joy! On on! in the week ahead.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ju-Lyn! We’ve moved to the Pacific Northwest where rain can be a daily occurrence so, yes, very considerate of the library to provide paper towels to dry the books before being dropped in the return shoot.
Thank you for celebrating the joy with me! I wish you many glimpses of your own joy.
LikeLike
My goodness, daily rain! That would make the running quite the challenge. It has been raining quite a bit these past few days here in Singapore so I hear you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, it was daily rain up until a couple days ago. Now we’ve been rain-free and I find myself missing it a bit. HA. I like running in rain as long as it’s not a deluge. Wishing you a good weekend, Ju-Lyn!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah! Rain runs! I used to love those. But I try to be a little more careful these days on account of caution against slipping 😅😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
Believe me, I get that caution. I was running the other day and a section of street beneath towering cedar trees was wet (whereas all other surfaces had been dry) and I sloooowed down to avoid any slippage!
LikeLike
Yup, better safe than sorry, these days. We were just running through a grass verge the other day when I was reminded of how uneven and unpredictable grassy terrain can be!
LikeLike
Pingback: urbanscape – Touring My Backyard