My theme this year will be to find the joy in things …
Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a habit of looking at the bright side of things. (Those who do not know me well think I am a pessimist, because of my habit of thinking about what could go wrong so I can try to prevent it from happening.) I wake up in the mornings (grumpy, for sure) and CHOOSE to look at the day as a new start, a new day to do something good for someone else, a new day to see the sunrise and the sunset … I choose happiness each day, whether or not I have been given “good” reason to do so. I choose happiness because misery begets misery and happiness begets happiness. I choose happiness because I like to LIVE my life - I only get one, according to some, and I do not want to waste a minute of the life that I have been so generously given.
However, as I recently discovered, and posted about on the guest blog post I wrote for my friend Soren’s blog, I have often missed out on the JOY of life. I have a beautiful life, do not get me wrong. I enjoy playtime with my Tween, my nieces and nephews. I love doing fun things with my friends. I enjoy having time to myself to watch tv, read, write, walk, sit on the beach, or drive around (*cringes at the waste of gas* … but in my defense I have not done this more than twice this year, promise!).
This year, though, I will be looking for the JOY in things. I will try to play a little longer, without getting annoyed. I will romp and play without worrying if someone is going to get hurt. I will laugh and sing and dance and jump on my friend A’s trampoline with the kids. I will actually go on a water slide when we go to the water park, rather than sitting in the shade and enjoying my book. I will splash and play with the kids more at the beach (although I pride myself on being the ONLY adult who got in the water with the kids the last few times we went). I will make sandwiches in silly shapes for the kids, and decorate their dinner plates with something fun, and find any other way I can to bring out the special laughter that only a child can deliver.
I wish you all a beautiful 2009. I hope your mansion of life is filled with love and laughter, friendship and companionship, accomplishments, achievements, and most of all … joy.
My personal motto has been love, laugh, learn, and live … now it will be to find the joy in love, the joy in learning, the joy in laughter, and the joy in living. I hope you all find joy in your lives as well.
Love and hugs,
Devy Gyrl
xoxoxoxo
