What were the 3-5 things that gave you joy this week?

1. Love. I don’t know what it was about this week, but there was so much love. It was traveling the internet, being sent to my blog and to me, wholehearted love fests were happening in the comment sections of other blogs I love and in my email inbox, and on Facebook in various groups and profiles. It feels like the Universe saying “yes, this is right, you are right where you should be and doing just what you should, as you should.” There was so much love, “My Heart Can’t Contain It All.”

Picture by David Sky

2. Walking. My walks with the dogs this week have been extra special. Not because they’ve been anything out of the ordinary, but because they were absolutely ordinary, just as they always are, and I was paying extra close attention. I noticed.

3. Office plants. Yes, this one again. It just stuns me how perfectly my office climate is suited to indoor gardening, and how breathtaking the lush, glossy, full, aliveness of it can be. My amaryllis is working on three new blooms, the rest are healthy and green, and I brought a bird cage from home to add to the jungle, door flung wide open and birdless.

4. Running. I know, I can’t believe I’m saying it either. But, on Sunday, Eric and I ran with the dogs, and even though I couldn’t do the whole route, I did okay. I ran, and I remembered a few really good runs from a year ago, when I felt strong and powerful, like I could keep going forever. I miss that.

5. Three-hour nap. It was one of those, “I’ll just close my eyes and rest for a bit, and then I’ll go to work” naps that turned into a sleep marathon. Clearly, I really needed it.

For anyone having trouble being grateful today, finding the things that give you joy, I suggest reading the latest post on Metta Drum, “The Healing Power of Gratitude.”