We Need to Remember Joy is a Random Thing

What brought you joy last week?

It's easy sometimes to get so caught up in the things we struggle with that we fail to give proper credit to the things that bring us happiness, however fleeting.

I spent a good part of my weekend blog hopping, to the extent that it seems some bloggers spend all their time writing about blog hopping. It was a perhaps necessary exercise to see how other people write and try to expand readership (following those I found I liked and getting some new followers myself) but out of all my blog hopping, Monday morning I found inspiration. Anna Elizabeth, who had commented on several of my blogs, also blogs at The Five Facets and her blog, which show up on Google+ feed (yes I know, who cares) was about random things that brought her joy last week.

I decided it wouldn't be bad to take a moment or two to think about the things that brought me joy last week -- heck, that would probably be a good habit to get into. SO I did, even if it's not Thankful Thursday. I'll call it Thinkback Tuesday.

1. Sledding with the girls. Sure, the snow sucked and there was only a couple of inches of really slick stuff that DOT never really addressed, but for two little girls who can't remember a significant snowfall, it was enough. A small hill, a good sled and snow bibs and we were able to enjoy time outside.

2. A doughnut with E1. Watching her eat her chocolate-covered, creme-filled concoction while her busy little eyes were focused on the fresh doughnuts rolling off the conveyor belt was priceless. Indeed, the whole morning's outing was an unexpected joy.

3. Deer hams from a virtual stranger. Three phone calls on Saturday had me meeting Josh at the interstate where he had two hams in a tub from the extended bow season in Elkin, NC. He'd hunted all season and while he still enjoyed hunting, his need for meat had slipped. One was cut up and went into the freezer and the second into the crockpot for this week's protein addition.

4. Watching the sourdough sponge rise. Unless you've done it, don't laugh. You can actually see the dough breathing. About 10-12 hours into its expansion, the bubbles rise and burst causing the dough to move and wiggle. The fact that each batch brings me closer to perfection (or what I want it to be) and that I've been using the bread for sandwiches, etc., only adds to my fascination with step two of the process.

5. Singing in church. Sunday morning, after struggling with worship songs for weeks and finding my peace with "Keep Making Me," I was able to sing with the congregation without feeling like I had to hold back. It was the "Revelation Song" and it didn't matter that the big screens weren't working because I knew it from my heart and sang it out with joy.

6. Walking with Rebel, Macy and my husband Saturday afternoon. The first day of February turned out fairly nice and my big yard dogs haven't seen me nearly as much as they would like this winter. They were practically doubling up in enthusiastic tail wags, walking on my heels and, in Macy's case, bouncing off of me in their excitement. Hubby hadn't walked as much as he would have liked last week either, so he joined us and we all took a brisk stroll down the road and back.

7. Zumba. Well, Zumba almost always makes me smile and even more so as I'm feeling ties to my classmates that I never had before. After the aggravation of missing another night class on Tuesday thanks to the aforementioned snow, I was at Move2Melt just a little late Saturday morning and, other than realizing I still had gum in my mouth and having to run spit it out, didn't miss a beat of music, although I won't say I was always with it. Dancing makes me happy. My classmates make me smile.

8. A Super Bowl commercial that made me laugh out loud. It was for Chevy, the first one with the bull and romance in the air and "You Sexy Thing" for a soundtrack. I grew up around cows and it was just hilarious to me. Pretty soon after that the game was so bad that I didn't even watch, but that one made me laugh.

9. A diaper blowout. Yes, those are generally bad things, but this one was beyond the realm of bad. It was just hilarious because E3 had not only covered herself, but somehow managed to shoot poop out of the top of her diaper and leave a trail across the playroom. Much cleanup, a stinky baby and all, it was just too funny to not laugh.

10. Two little girls yelling "Ma!" and wrapping tiny arms around my legs when we rode over to watch the Super Bowl at their house. That will always bring me joy, although I know the voices and range of reach will change. When they are so excited that I'm at their house, despite all the time we've spent together in the week, it's especially priceless.

There, 10 things to be thankful for last week and a reason to take the time to note the things that bring me joy this week as well. Perhaps a challenge to each of you to do the same and share? Maybe, little by little, we can realize our lives are better than we take the time to recognize in the moment.