finding joy

Life has been rough this year. And lately I’m finding myself wallowing around in it.  I’ve been here before, and I recognize the space I’m in.

I was really feeling sorry for myself, and I remembered this post by Erin at Bluebirdbaby. It sums up how I feel right now. Erin says, “Everyday, heck…every second, something happens in your life that gives you a choice. A choice between acceptance and gratitude, or misery and unhappiness.”

Seriously what I need is a swift kick in the rear, or words like that. I’ll take the words.

And even though I “know” that I’m the only one responsible for my happiness, I need a reminder every once in a while. So in the midst of this chaos called life, I decided to carve out little tiny spaces of awareness. To recognize the joy. I decided to look back at the the photos I’ve taken with my new camera, and there was the proof right before my eyes. I do have a beautiful life. Of course life’s not about one ecstatic moment after another. Ironically, that’s a lesson I’ve been trying to teach The Boy lately. It seems I’ve got it now. Ups and downs. Highs and lows. Joy and sorrow.

As I looked at the photos, I realized that I do have those small moments. My days are filled with them.

A beautiful sunset caught from the backyard.

Fresh bread rising on the kitchen counter.

Making cookies with a sick little girl.

Marvelling at a spider’s handiwork.

The beginning of the school year, and the return to our school year rhythms and field trips.

A sweater nearly finished and another right behind it.

A girl’s night out.

And the smell of this soup simmering away in my kitchen right now. And not a moment too soon because with a little cold working its way through our home, soup is just what we need.

Trying my very best to find joy in the little things.