1. The river. I’ve always been lucky enough to live near water — rivers, lakes, the ocean (except for that year I lived in Arizona) — and I’m so happy that where I live now is so close to the river and multiple ponds. With the river in particular, I love to see how it changes through the seasons.

2. Morning walks. This week was colder, so on a few walks we waited until the sun came up to leave the house, missed the sunrise and walked in the full sun. Ringo’s arthritis was acting up, so we didn’t go quite as far and stayed on the paved trails, and one day we walked on the opposite side of the river than we normally do, so we had a whole new view.

3. Practice. Practicing both together (wild writing with my writing sangha, making art with Calyx, meditating with Chelsey, walking with Ringo) and alone. I’m also super grateful to have a therapist who comes from a similar background and understands the intention, the process, the view.

4. Content. Books, TV, movies, podcasts, and music. It would take me multiples lifetimes to consume it all, and sometimes that makes me sad. I suppose it also makes me more selective, more careful about what I choose to engage with. I’m also learning to skim or even quit if I’m not loving something, and choosing first the thing I’m the most excited about when I start anything new, which means I’m always engaged with the best, or at least it feels that way to me.

5. My tiny family, my tiny home, my tiny life. It’s everything I ever wanted.

Bonus joy: clean sheets, a warm shower, the new clocks I got, watercolors, gummies, vaccines, masks, telehealth, that corner of the couch, long hugs with Eric, the hydromassage chair, the pool, sitting in the sauna with Eric, my new gym bag, fry sauce, snow tires, snow, a big glass of clean cold water, apple pie oatmeal, raspberries, Ringo’s physical therapy vet and tech (really, all of Red Sage), pain medication, napping with Ringo, listening to podcasts, watching TV, listening to music, Elyse Myers on Instagram (she also has two albums that I really love), Joy Oladokun (so good!), birds at the feeder, squirrels at the compost pile, other people’s dogs and kids, reading in bed at night while Ringo and Eric sleep.