Comfort and Joy

Mamakat's Terrific Prompt:  5.) List the top 9 things that bring you joy.


This was a bit difficult for me.  I don't usually stop to identify my emotions about everything, particularly when I am in the moment. I've never stopped and said "I feel ____."  It's just not efficient for me.  Perhaps, in trying to live in the 'now', I skip parts of life, like thinking about how I feel at any given moment.   Maybe there's balance in contemplating aspects of life other than the now. Probably something I need to work on next year.


1. My husband brings me joy.  He doesn't always know it--since I'm not constantly giddy with mania, Larry usually thinks that I'm in a bad mood. (I'm not--but I don't see the point in smiling like I'm overmedicated all day long, either)  Larry has been there with me through quite a bit of trauma. Things that would drive a lesser man away haven't even phased him. That is important to me.  He is always trying to get me to laugh with his jokes, and sometimes he succeeds. Larry doesn't ever talk down to me or act like I'm stupid for asking questions about the computer; he just answers them. He's my biggest fan, and that brings me joy.

2. Zane brings me joy.  He is happy almost 24/7.  Even when he is in a 'mood', it never lasts a long time.  He loves to play, he's smart, and he's very loving.  What's not to love?  I've got a great kid, and I've loved watching him grow, which is why I often blog about him and bore all of you to tears! Just watching him sleep often has me feeling that all is good in the world, and that is a joy.

3. Cats bring me joy.  Ever since I was adopted by my first cat, Isobel, I've loved having cats in the house.  They are fascinating to watch, are playful, and affectionate, if you're not an item on their menu. They are smart and very agile at manipulating us to get what they need.  I have had hours of playing with my cats and watching them dominate their environment without much effort, and I'm convinced that cats are smarter than people, most days.  In spite of their little idiosyncrasies, and my heartbreak every time one of them has had to be put to sleep or died(RIP Isobel, Morris, Tiger, and Mr. Kitty), I wouldn't trade the happy moments for the world.

The Zena-cat 3000 comes with laser beams that shoot out of her eyes!

4. Maisy is such a playful pup that she brings me joy.  Although I will be eternally grateful when she is able to sleep through the night without  having to get up and piddle, and I'm not too keen on her need to find random paper products and chew them into little tiny pieces of paper, Maisy has been a good puppy so far.  It makes me laugh to see her out in the back yard, trying to play with Zena the cat, with her little butt up in the air and her tail wagging like a helicopter. What is even funnier is to see Maisy trying to learn how to catch mice with Zena as the teacher!

5. Books bring me joy.  They bring me other emotions, as well, but foremost is joy.  I can escape in a book when I can't afford a vacation.  I can distract myself from my sorrows, I can find new jokes or new novels. I can learn more about myself, and other people.  I can explore the world without ever leaving my comfy chair or shelling out for airfare.  A book can even be an instant time machine, taking me back to Tudor England to hang out with Thomas Cromwell or Henry VIII.

6. Writing brings me joy.  I don't always write well, but I like to put my pen to paper anyway. It's not always easy, but it is fun for me.  It is relaxing for me.  Nobody else has to read what I write, but it is my own personal pensieve.  Like Professor Dumbledore, I like to pull some memories out of my head for later viewing.  Years later, when I've forgotten so much, those memories will make me laugh, and that idea brings me joy. 

7. Good food brings me joy, and as my middle exemplifies, I love to eat.  Except fruit cake.  Nobody likes that. I love to sit down to a good hearty noonday meal, and have chicken fried steak, or enchiladas, or lasagna, or a juicy steak.  Probably my fondness for good food is firmly attached to my love of family--my extended family, mother, father, brother, husband, and children all herd together every Sunday at a random restaurant for a meal.  I like it when we are all together, even if I usually can't hear a darn thing. 

8. Friends bring me joy. One of my bloggy friends, Andrea, from Maybe It's Just Me,  sent me this wonderful t-shirt. She thought of me, and her thoughts did not contain a single curse word, I hope!  How did she know that I love getting presents?  Or that I secretly love to correct other people's grammar?  She is, in gamer terms, l33t!  I wish that she lived closer so I could just hang out at her house, where the cookies are.

Yes, I am.

9. Laughter brings me joy.  I read once that "joy is in the ears that hear."  Laughter always sounds wonderful to me, and if it is the laughter of children, then I am doubly blessed.  I'm talking about that laughter that burbles up from the belly and bursts forth like ripened fruit, laughter that infects the people around you in a good way, until everyone is laughing.  You just cannot feel unhappy if you are laughing this way--it is impossible.  And that brings me joy.  


What brings YOU joy?  Share in the comments!

Naked In The Garden

Last night I was helping my son get ready for bed. He had decided on wearing his Sponge Bob pajamas, and I was looking for the top to go with the bottoms. Having finally found what I was looking for, I turned around. Clothes strewn around his feet, Zane was standing in the doorway of his room, completely naked, his hands on his hips in the classic Superman pose.

"I'm NAKED!!!" He announced proudly, and I had to smile. He was so very happy about being naked. I reflected that most children his age are perfectly happy being in the altogether, and most adults MY age are not. That very awesome joyfulness at just BEING that all little kids have goes away somewhere, and most of us never get that back. That's kind of sad.

Not that I really WANT to see a bunch of people my age running around naked. Ew. If I were to show my own pale backside in public, a dude named Ahab would certainly show up! But it would be nice if more adults could just be who they are in the proverbial garden without worrying about whether they are missing their fig leaf.