I spy joy at Red Park

Although spying joy is still easy to do if you look for it, these days it seems more challenging to really relax into the moment and let the joy we see soak down into our bones. At least, it seems a bit tougher to me.

Take today, for example. After sleeping in until 7am and savoring a morning mocha I check my email for the first time in a few days and find a heartfelt note from a friend saying she is closing the doors of her yoga center. As if that, among the daily barrage of bad news and double-digit unemployment, wasn’t enough; I opened mail and found the neighborhood hardware store is also closing its doors. Driving through town I see so many more signs shouting “for lease” or “going out of business sale”. It’s moments like these that challenge me to remember the truth.

The truth is that I am not my job. Neither are you. I am the love and kindness I show to everyone I encounter. I am the joy I feel watching my kids play soccer or swing from bars or read a book they find interesting. I am the time I make to be with my family and friends. I am the care and attention I show when I’m helping others. I am thankful for this day and the happiness inherent in it.

And I am thankful for the joy I spied at Red Park, and how it reminds me of all the important truths.