What Gives You Joy

Early morning journaling gave me a powerful insight. With the new year I’ve been feeling that I’m at the beginning of something new. My life has the vague feeling of a chapter ending or a new chapter beginning. The line from a song keeps running in a loop in my mind, “There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.” I’m letting some things go, so time will open up for new things to take root. In this morning journaling mediation, I wrote a quick list of things in my life that gave me joy.

When I reflected on each sweet memory spanning decades, each made me smile.

•  Knowing love

•  My daughter

•  Friendships and family

•  A summer spent in Colorado

•  A dinner party club

•  Watching a meteor shower

•  My years as a Girl Scout leader

•  Jumping out of an airplane

•  Backpacking across Europe

•  Watching a Van Gogh painting come alive, as it became illuminated by sunlight

•  Sitting on a New Orleans balcony

•  A great wine pairing

•  Meeting blogging friends IRL at BlogHer

•  Reading in a hammock

•  Falling asleep listening to waves crashing on a beach

•  Moonshadows

•  The colors of a sunrise or sunset

It is said that at the end of one’s life, no one says they wished they spent more hours at the office. What I realized after I put the list together that it really is life’s simple things that give me joy. Love. Family. Friendship. Adventures.

Age has given me the wisdom to recognize and to savor these moments. As I move forward with what I want to do in this chapter, I’ll remember that to enjoy life I must do what gives me joy. I’ll take more long scenic walks with my sweetie. We’ll talk about our latest dinner party and we’ll plan our next adventure. And in this moment, I’ll savor the setting sun.

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