My previous joy list resonated with many readers, so I’ll keep it going. I hope my list inspires you to notice more around you just as it has for me. What a joy it is to be in this world and experience magic every day. For me, a joy list replaces a bucket list.
The brightest double rainbow I’ve ever seen out my living room window
on time departures and arrivals
a friend picking up my medications for me
a long hug in the grocery store
a long hug in the plant nursery by the part shade loving plants
the surgery worked
the pacemaker will help
the first thing I see out the airplane window is a heart-shaped lake after being poked and prodded for 3 days on behalf of my heart
a butterfly on my hand
hummingbirds at my feeder and buzzing my head
improving my watercolor skills
the best neighbors/renters one could ask for
Jason finding two four-leaf clovers in a month in our yard
my dog saying a 10-minute hello after I was away for four nights
standing in the middle of a meadow blooming with camas flowers and buzzing pollinators
the smell of freshly cut grass
the smell of wild roses blooming on my property
professionally cleaned carpets
professionally cleaned windows
professionally cleaned car (why do I only do this every other year?)
picking strawberries in my friend’s strawberry patch
seeing a man running through the Denver airport with an entire head of celery poking out of his backpack
the friend of a friend who came to sit with me when I had complications from a heart catheterization
a fresh big bag of gummy bears and coloring books with swear words from a thoughtful friend
dark chocolate
rollerblading in the evening sun
wind rustling the aspen leaves
falling asleep to the sound of Game Creek below my house
endless fist bumps and high fives on the local trails
a rainstorm during high fire danger
clean reading glasses (a true rarity)
writing classes
writing groups
my hair is finally growing back after heart surgery (I lost over half my hair)
having my hair washed and cut by my favorite hair person ever
Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird
the perfect backhand toss of the frisbee for Hamilton which leads to a midair catch and elation
a dog against my chest, a cat on my head, and another cat on my side when I wake in the morning
watching the wrens tend to their chicks and then weeks later, be at the right place and time to watch all five chicks fledge and go out into the world
a friend’s surgery for stage four cancer is a success and remission is possible
high school graduations
a friend’s breast lump is noncancerous
standing in an ice-cold creek on the hottest day on record with a dear neighbor friend, watching dogs frolic in the water
mountain biking with friends
mountain biking alone and listening to Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul or Naughty By Nature or U2
hearing a new song that just hits and captures emotions perfectly
birding anywhere and everywhere
planning for a big trip
enough frequent flier miles for the big trip
a new pair of hiking shoes for the big trip
any adventure with Jason
outdoor concert on top of a mountain with old and new friends
knowing it is all going to be more than ok no matter what and no matter how because it has always worked out for my highest good
the biggest mushroom of my life on the side of a mountain bike trail
I’m so glad I could share in some of this joy with you!
So many of these Joys are mine and so many I want to do WITH you. You my sweet dear friend are a great gift to me, this community, the world.