30 Days of Beauty-Day 30: Writing

It is June 30th!  That means that this is the last post for 30 Days of Beauty.  As I sat down to write on this final evening in June, I went back to read my post a year ago on the last day of 30 Days of Joy.  I had learned a lot by completing that exercise.  That is also true this year.

Each of us creates our own circle;
Make yours a Circle of Joy.

In writing about beauty, I found that it is closely related to joy.  In looking around and identifying the beauty in my life, I often felt tremendous joy.  I hope that these posts have helped you to see the beauty that surrounds you each day.  I hope that this created a lot of joy for you.  Even more, I hope that you shared this joy with others.  After all, my intent with this blog is to create Circles of Joy that create ripples in the fabric of life; thus spreading joy to those around us.

When looking for beauty, I realized that, while nature is truly beautiful, the people I encounter each day provide the sources of beauty that are most meaningful.  It is just a matter of taking the time, looking for it, and treasuring its gift to you.  Please know that you are beautiful, and take the time to tell someone you love that they are beautiful to you.  You will experience and share great joy in this way.

Thanks for reading this blog!

I set out to write every day during June equaling 30 days of writing.  I didn't always get them done on time.  Life, power outages, and travel sometimes got in the way.  However, I made sure to write 30 posts, and each one reflected what I was experiencing that day.  I really like to write.  I hope that shows in my posts.  I greatly appreciate those who commented or "liked" my post on Facebook.  I knew that people were reading  these writings, and it meant a lot to me.  Now that the 30 days are over, I will go back to writing weekly.  I hope that you will continue to read my posts.

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 30-Enjoy

It is hard to believe that I am writing my last post of 30 Days of Joy.  It has truly been a labor of love.  I took a few minutes to go back to the May 31 post where I explained what I hoped to accomplish by writing for 30 days.  I talked about creating Circles of Joy-sharing joy so that others can experience joy in their lives.  My 30 days have addressed a variety of ways that I have experienced joy in my life.  I also encouraged everyone to reach out to others to share words, pictures, and stories of joy.  I hoped to do this daily.  While I didn't accomplish this every day, I was able to do so most days and will continue this practice into the future.

Many of my posts talked about "enjoying" various times and activities in our lives.  It struck me how closely related to "joy" this word is.  In fact, it has the word joy embedded in it.  I had never thought about this before.  When I looked up its meaning in the dictionary, I found:



en·joy

v. en·joyed, en·joy·ing, en·joys

v.tr.

1. To receive pleasure or satisfaction from.

2. To have the use or benefit of: enjoys good health.

v.intr.

To have a pleasurable or satisfactory time.

It sounds like such a lukewarm feeling when I read the definition.  Joy should always be exciting and exhilarating!  It makes me wonder:  what happened to joy when it became a verb?  Shouldn't it be the act of feeling joy?  Keeping that meaning in mind:

• I have enjoyed writing these posts and sharing my life with you.  
• I have enjoyed thinking and learning about things I had never explored before.  
• It was fun to reminisce about young love. 
• It was a joyous occasion to meet my new grandson.  
• Writing about my family was joyful.  
• I enjoyed all of it and hope that you did too.

One thing that I have learned:  there is joy in our lives every single day if we look for it.  Some of the days I was writing while in pain from my injury, but I was able to find joy anyway.  It certainly made the pain easier to bear.  I would encourage you to always look for the joy in your life-not just on those happy days when it is easy to find, but also on those days when it is more of a struggle.  I believe that we need joy on those days more than ever.

When you "enjoy" something, think about the joy involved in the experience.  Once you have found your joy, find a way to share it!  It is not meant to keep close but to broadcast to others so that they can share in your joy.  It's not bragging-it's spreading the joy and being positive in your attitude toward life.   Our world is so free to share the negative, troublesome events; why not share the joyful ones?  We will all be better for it!

Thanks for joining me in this journey!  I hope that you will join the site so that you can keep reading as I move to weekly posts and that you will always feel free to contact me through this blog or Facebook.  Have a lovely Fourth of July week!  And don't forget...

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 10-Friends

I am so excited!  Today my husband and I are joining a group of friends for a late afternoon/early evening get-together.  These friends are truly special in our lives!  We often connect on Facebook, but we rarely can find a mutual time to come together as a group.  Once in a while, we have a large gathering at someone's home; this is just a small group of us sharing our joy in being friends.

When I look back 5 years, my husband and I did not have very many friends-acquaintances-yes-not friends.  I moved around so much when I was young that I don't have friends that I have known for a long time.  There are some friends from college that I have kept in touch with at Christmas but rarely see.  With the advent of Facebook, more of us are connecting through a class website that we share.  It is great fun finding out what they are all doing now, discovering the wit and wisdom in their posts, and seeing pictures of their families.  This reconnecting has been a recent outcome of being on Facebook.  Before that, we were busy with work and family; as a result, we had few friends.

I know!  It sounds kind of sad.  We were busy, had each other, but we were lonely at times.  I had a few close friends from work, and they are wonderful!  I am still close to them even after retirement.  However, it's nice to have friends who don't have anything to do with your work life.  Also, these were my friends-not my husband's.    As our children got older, went off to school, and developed their own circle of friends, we now had more time on our hands for socializing.  That was when something magical happened in our lives!

Since I was an HR Director who listened to people all day long, I was not a fan of talk radio.  When I was done with work, I wanted music to listen to on my way home.  However, my husband wasn't with people all day long and liked the company of talk radio as he drove in his car.  That is when he discovered a radio station filled with talented, entertaining, interesting people.  One of the things that this station had was a chat room where listeners could interact with the talent and with one another.  Since he is a techie anyway, he started conversing with others on this site.   Everyone chose a name/personae to use that provided some protection.  As time elapsed, many of the same people would interact with each other.  As my husband spent more time in this endeavor, I asked him what was going on.  His response, "I'm trying to find us some friends!"

Needless to say, I was surprised and a little concerned about this undertaking.  Who were these people? They started putting pictures of themselves on the site; my husband put a reflection from the rear view mirror of his car of his eyes with sunglasses.  He was being careful and giving nothing away!   Soon after that everyone was starting to get curious about one another.  So, a few of them decided to meet for dinner at Big Bowl.  My husband wanted to join them.  I cautiously encouraged him to go. After all, I was curious about these people too, and this was a public place.  He could always leave if he felt uncomfortable.  However, I did not want to go with him.  I didn't have an online friendship with them like he did.  So, I waited at home wondering where this was going to lead us.

This night was the beginning!  Rather than being uncomfortable, a lot of connections were made that night.  It went so well that they decided to have a few parties at a restaurant one of them owned where more people could gather and spouses could join in.  This was my introduction to this fabulous group of people!  There are all ages, occupations, and interests, but they all have such a wonderful joy of life.  Out of this, we have made very close friends who love, care for, and support one another.  The chat room at the radio station closed down several years ago, and we all migrated to Facebook.

Many of us used to drop in at the restaurant for a glass of wine and always found others from the group there to talk with.  While we are happy for her, our friend decided to sell the restaurant so we no longer have this as a gathering place.  As a result, it has been more challenging to find ways to see each other.  Small groups of us try to get together from time to time.  Larger group events happen occasionally-certainly not often enough.

Tonight will be one of those times that a smaller group of us get together.  We will all keep looking for ways to bring everyone together in the near future, because there is such joy in spending time with each other.  When I look at our lives now, we are truly blessed with the joy of good friends.  Many of these friends have become very close; I know that they would be there for us if we ever needed them as we would be there for them.  Our lives have been changed!  We laugh, because we have a more active social life than our children now.  I hope that you have found some time to spend with friends this lovely weekend, and that you are always on the lookout for finding joy in others!

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 8-Hugs

There is nothing as comforting as a hug.  It's interesting to think about how much hugging is an integral part of our world.  When I think back to when I was young, I don't remember hugging being a big part of the culture.  I'm sure that my parents gave me hugs when I was little but that stopped when I became an adolescent; probably at my request!  It was much later when I was grown up that my parents and I started hugging again.  


I love it when I get hugs now.  I have raised my children to hug when we get together-usually as we say goodbye.  My son is teaching his daughter the same tradition.  She melts my heart when she gives me a hug and kiss goodbye.  It is so sweet.  I also smile when I see her hug her parents.  There is nothing more touching than a parent-child hug.  I am guessing that many parents are hugging their graduating seniors this month as a way to share the joy and pride of the moment.  

A mom's hug lasts long after she lets go.
Anonymous

I think all of us need to be touched, and hugging is a healthy way of meeting that need.  I often thought that must have been one of the hardest things for my mother after my father died.  Who fulfilled her need to be touched?  I always made sure to give her lots of hugs when we would get together.  There are many times now when I wish that I could hug my parents one more time.   

My mother loved the cartoon Family Circus.  She always read it in the newspaper, and often asked if I had seen a particular one.  I know that there were many times when the kids in the cartoon were giving their parents hugs.  Bil Keane, the cartoonist, probably designed it that way on purpose according to his philosophy.  Maybe this is one reason she liked it so much!

A hug is like a boomerang - you get it back right away.
 Bil Keane, "Family Circus"

I have some wonderful friends who give hugs as greetings and goodbyes.  One friend always hugs in such a way that you know she is really treasuring the moment-the sharing, caring of good friends.  I love getting hugs from her!  I think some people are just natural at hugging.  My husband gives hugs freely to people.   Some people are like a hug department: always open!  I am much more reticent if I don't know the person very well, but I am working on it. 


I think that there are a lot of people out there who need a hug.  We often say to someone, "You need a hug!"; then give them one.  We send hugs through Facebook.  However, I believe that there are a lot of lonely people out there who need hugs and aren't getting them.  An inspiring initiative is the Free Hugs Campaign.  I would encourage you to click on the name to visit the website so you can read the story about Juan Mann.  His goal was to "reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives".  Watch the video.  It is amazing and very touching.  

Hugging is a way to bring joy into someone's life.  I hope that you can reach out today and hug someone who needs it.  Maybe the person needing the hug is really you.  Whichever it is, it is certainly a way to experience joy and start a Circle of Joy.  Maybe this one little act will change their day, and they will go on to hug someone else.  Don't forget that just one drop (your hug) can create many ripples in the daily fabric of our lives.  Here is mine to you!

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 5-Encouragement

As I look back on my life thus far, I am struck by all of the help I have had.  Obviously, it started when I was very young when my parents were helping me navigate this wonderful journey called life.  As I moved from Miami to Wisconsin to Minnesota, I encountered some wonderful people who helped me figure out the new culture of each new school I attended.  Then I made the great journey to college.

During the first week of my freshman year, I met someone who ultimately changed my life-my husband.  While I didn't particularly like him at first, I later found that he was my very best friend and my love.  I was very unsure of myself at that time, but he has always believed in me and my ability to accomplish anything I set my mind to.  His encouragement has been an important component in making me who I am today.

While I moved in my career from teacher to mentor to administrator to director, I always had people who helped me along the way.  Without their support and encouragement, I'm not sure that I would have been able to grow and accomplish all that I've done.  Keeping that in mind, I have made sure to encourage others along the way.  I had many student teachers whom I encouraged.  Then when I was an adjunct professor at St. Thomas, I encouraged the teachers I was helping to prepare.  Once I entered Human Resources, a lot of my time was spent in career counseling and encouraging others in seeking their dreams.  In fact, here is my philosophy statement from my professional portfolio taken from a song called 

Encouragement:

Life is beautiful,

And life is good,

But life will never, never be easy

Like we sometimes wish it could.

I believe we were all meant to succeed.

I believe we were all born to win.

You might stand alone at the top of the victory stand

But you get there with the love and support of your friends.

It takes a pat on the back,

It takes a hand to hold,

It takes some words of hope that touch your heart and soul.

It takes encouragement, encouragement.

That fragile bridge between your dreams and accomplishment.

Surround yourself in this human experiment

With those who proudly wear the badge of encouragement.

By Don Wharton

At this time, I know several people who are starting new endeavors or encountering challenges with work or struggling with the day-to-day challenges of life.  I believe that Facebook has been a wonderful tool for many of them to keep them going.  I also believe that it has been a wonderful means to communicate our encouragement and support.  As I have mentioned before, many of the people connecting have never actually met each other.  Many live in different cities or even different countries, but they still show great compassion and encourage one another in life's daily struggles.  This is so powerful!

As you go through your day today, think of those who might need a little encouragement and see if you can bring them a little joy to make their way a bit easier.  You never know!  Your message or picture or response to their need may be just what they need to get through this trial or work through this block to their success.  You may be able to bring some joy to someone else, and you never know!  It may come back to you.

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 4-Laugh

Have you ever had the giggles?  It doesn't happen very often to us when we are adults.  I think you find giggling most often in young girls.  I know that there have been times when I had a fit of giggles when I was younger.  There is something about being young that goes hand-in-hand with laughter.

Parents record their baby's first laugh, and they tickle them to get them to laugh.
In fact, the toy, Tickle Me Elmo, was very popular at one time to the point of inciting riots where normally sane adults were grabbing the toys from one another.  Why was it such a big deal?  Children's laughter?

They say that laughter is contagious; so why don't we laugh very much once we become adults?  Is it because we have forgotten how to laugh?  Are we too cool or self-conscious to laugh?  Much too serious as adults?

 I think it's just that we don't take the time to laugh anymore.  My husband loves to impart puns as we go through our day.  Our sons will tell you that we usually call them groaners.  They really are clever, but we've heard them all before.  As a result, we don't really laugh-we smirk or groan.  That's sad.  One of the things that attracted me to him was that he made me laugh.

My husband is thrilled when he has new people to share his jokes with.  Our daughter-in-law has a greater appreciation for his sense of humor.  I'm sure that our granddaughter will happily enjoy laughing with her grandpa as she becomes old enough to understand his humor.

I think most of us like to laugh.  The fact that there are so many sitcoms on television certainly speaks to that form of entertainment.  Comedy clubs are still around, cartoons still exist, blooper reels are a success, and the comics in the newspaper are still favorites.  I know that in our house we usually like action/ fantasy movies, but there are times when we seek out a comedy just because we want to laugh.  I happen to like intelligent comedy; I think that's why I don't watch sitcoms anymore.  However, I used to love MASH and Cheers when I was younger.  Maybe my tastes have changed, or maybe the writing is just different than it used to be.

A Day Without Laughter Is a Day Wasted.-Charlie Chaplin

No matter what form of comedy you like, it's time for us to take back laughter. If you are looking for something to start with, I wholeheartedly recommend watching the Ellen DeGeneres show.  Any day is fun, but today is Classic Joke Monday!  The jokes may be old, but it will still get a chuckle. Ellen makes me laugh every time I watch her show, and I leave feeling happy.   When I was working, I used to tape her show and watch it at night.  Now that I am retired, I have the benefit of watching it during the day.  My granddaughter also likes to watch Ellen.  She dances with Ellen and smiles a lot while it's on television.  It's just feel-good programming!

Did you know that January 24th is Global Belly Laugh Day?  Or that there are health benefits to laughter?  Psychology Today actually has an article that you might want to read on The Science of Laughter.  I was amazed that females laugh more than males, and that males are more likely to be comedians than females.  I guess that makes sense.  When I think about my family, both my grandfather and my dad were great joke tellers.  I, on the other hand, am terrible at telling a joke.  The article also talks about the social nature of laughter.  We laugh more easily when we are with others.  What would be a better way to start a Circle of Joy?   Here's one to share with you to get you started:

That's the hard-drive; not the mouse!

It doesn't really matter what you find funny, just don't forget to laugh and experience the joy!  So, where's your laugh opportunity?

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 3-Our Feathered Friends

Have you stopped recently to listen to the birdsong?  It is truly a joyful sound!  When my granddaughter was outside with me the other day, I asked her if she could hear the birds singing.  She stopped and listened intently-then smiled as she looked up into the trees.  So smart!  I hope to teach her to appreciate our feathered friends and to identify them as they come to eat at the feeders. 

Today I need to fill my bird feeders.  I have several on my deck just outside our patio doors.  It is one of my simple pleasures to sit at the kitchen table and watch all of the birds that visit the feeders.  We have a wide variety of finches including goldfinches.

We have several cardinal families that visit daily along with the chickadees and nuthatches.  Sometimes we see  bluejays, cowbirds, or doves.  Once in a while, a bird visits that sends me running for our bird books to try to identify the new species-at least one that I don't recognize!

One of my favorites is the woodpecker who eats the suet we put out.  I have found that if I don't provide the suet, the house is the next target.  So I try to make sure that there is always suet.  We have an understanding.

After I had my cataract surgery, I was amazed at how brightly colored the cardinals were.  Before that time, my vision had dimmed the vibrancy of the colors in the world around me.  I spent a lot of one day just marveling at the beauty of the male cardinals who were eating at our feeders.  

It is fun to watch the bird families that visit as a group.  We also have some birds that are messy as they dig for the specific seeds they like.  The squirrels like it when they visit because they can eat the seeds on the ground.  Others will grab a seed, hold it between their feet, and peck at it to get to the inner section.  Once in a while, we have a bit of drama as birds fight for prime feeding areas.  I now know where the saying "pecking order" comes from.  We see it in action at times.

Once in a while, the squirrels find their ways to the feeders.  They come across the roof of the house or climb the screen door.  Don will scare them off most of the time.  I do occasionally but usually choose to provide food at their level so that they don't feel the need to climb.  The chipmunks and raccoons benefit from that as well.

It's also time to put out my hummingbird feeder.  I saw one yesterday outside our front window which is where I usually hang the feeder.  You have to be quick to see them.  They flit quickly as they seek nectar.  I have planted some cosmos in that area to attract them.  They are fascinating to watch-all of that energy in those quick-moving wings.  Amazing!

I love the slice of nature that the birds and animals in my yard provide.  If you can, take a moment to listen to the birds, watch them in flight, or put out a feeder for them so you can watch them interact with each other.  I find joy daily as the birds and I share our world.  What about you?

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 2-Flowers

I spent a lovely hour at Bachman's on Friday.  Whether I buy or just browse, it is a joy-filled hour for me.  One of my earliest memories of childhood was wandering through my grandmother's flower garden in Mississippi when we would visit each summer.  She didn't have much money, but she would harvest the seeds of her flowers each year so she could plant again the next year.

 I was particularly intrigued by her passion flowers, because they were so unusual.  I also loved her Cosmos.  I now plant them in my garden every year, and they bring back such wonderful memories of an innocent time in my life.

Another early memory is living in Miami Shores, Florida when I was very little and having Lantana in the yard of our duplex.  The individual little blooms in such vibrant colors were fascinating to a young toddler. They have such an unusual odor when you touch them.  I also plant them in my yard.  The aroma instantly brings me back to another time.

Obviously, my love for flowers began very early.  I know that I owe this to my mother.  She loved flowers, too, and shared this love with me.  In my stressful years as an HR Director, I would often take a little break by losing myself in the flowers I would encounter during my day.  My lovely husband often brought me flowers for my desk as he knew how much I loved them and needed them to get through my work day.

Today I will get to spend a few hours planting the flowers I bought yesterday.  I will then be able to enjoy them as they grow, expand, and flourish throughout the summer.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful here in Minnesota.  I hope that you will take a moment to really look at the beauty of the flowers surrounding you during the day.  It doesn't have to be in your yard or home.  Everywhere you go, there are flowers decorating the landscape.  It will also be a great day to visit the Rose Garden, the Arboretum, or a nursery near you.

If you get a chance, take a few pictures of the ones that you like. I have many flower pictures  that I use as backgrounds to bring me a little joy each time I look at my phone.  You will notice that this blog even has flowers as a background!  It really doesn't matter; just take a moment to find joy in the flowers around you.  Even better-share them with someone else as you create your Circle of Joy!

I am beginning to share flowers with my granddaughter.  When she was visiting last weekend, I showed her my roses by the front walk.  She pointed to them and said, "Oooh!".  And so it goes on to another generation: a love of flowers.  Take a flower break and pass it on...

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy

Since the beginning of this blog, I have been thinking about what it should be when it grows up.  While writing is very fulfilling for me, I want Joy2Day to have meaning and help bring joy to others.  It's always an interesting process of determining what I should write about each time.  I keep a running list as ideas occur to me, but I usually write about what's uppermost in my mind and/or life at the time.  Thinking about the future of Joy2Day has been an intriguing exercise.

A friend who read my blog suggested that I might want to check out The Joy Project which was created by Amanda Gore.  You may want to visit The Joy Project's website sometime.  It is very interesting, and I found many common interests.  The Joy Project encourages everyone to find joy in their lives so that they can change their lives for the better.  People are invited to become part of the joy movement and join a joy tribe.  I thought that this was very much along the lines of what I was thinking about; but then I discovered 2 fundamental differences.

The first difference is that The Joy Project is founded on principles in the Gospel of Joy.  I believe very strongly in spirituality, but I felt that this was too close to Christianity for what I was intending with Joy2Day.  I have too many friends who have been hurt by organized religion, and there is too much going on in our world that ostracizes people based on a particular religious position.  Please don't misunderstand.  I belong to a Christian church.  My brother is a Lutheran pastor.  I think that The Joy Project is a wonderful endeavor.  In fact, I would encourage you to check it out.  It may be a great fit for you.  It is just not what I am striving for in Joy2Day.

The second difference is that The Joy Project is internally focused to help people find joy in their lives.  That is wonderful, but I don't think it goes far enough.  This is what has intrigued me in my struggle to develop an identity for Joy2Day.  I feel very strongly that we need to find joy and then share it with others!  If you are struggling to find joy in your life, The Joy Project is probably a great program for you.  If you are wanting to spread joy to others, I'd like you to join my journey.  

Facebook has been a wonderful experience for me!  I have found so many giving, loving, caring, joyful friends who provide support to each other as we encounter life's difficult times that are inevitable.  It has been incredible to watch as people who have never met reach out to their Facebook friends in times of need.  Why not try to encourage this?  What if everyone reached out to just one person every day that they went on Facebook in order to tell a positive story, send a hug, share a picture, provide encouragement?  Many of us do that a lot already.  I have one friend who sends wonderful pictures with inspirational or funny sayings every single day.  She makes me laugh and sometimes touches me in ways that make me cry.  She is a constant source of joy.  Why not join her in being purposeful about this?

I want to encourage all of you to join this effort.  I think of this as creating Circles of Joy.  Think of yourself as a drop of water.  Your reaching out to someone to spread joy today is like a drop of water in a still pond.  You create a ripple which gets bigger and has a far reaching impact on that still pond.  These ripples, Circles of Joy, can touch a lot of people.  You don't have to post on Facebook more often; you just have to pick one person each day that you post something and do something that spreads joy to them .  We could be a Circle of Joy made up of friends who make a conscious effort to share our joy with each other.  I think that this can be very empowering for those who are starting a new venture; supportive for those who are struggling with a loss in their family; encouraging for those who are trying to solve one of life's many dilemmas.  Just think what we could accomplish!

In an endeavor to get this started, I am going to try to blog every day in June: 30 Days of Joy.  I am going to try to share different examples of joy each day.  I am also going to go on Facebook each day, pick at least one friend to share some joy with in an effort to start my own Circle of Joy.  If this interests you, join me in spreading joy to others, and be sure to check into Joy2Day every day for new ideas for finding and spreading joy.  Better yet: become a member so you don't miss any posts.  I'd love to hear from you!  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.  And don't forget to take care of yourself.  In other words...

Have you found your joy today?