During this Easter season, even with so much trouble going on in our country and the world. I can’t help but feel a sense of joy. Joy is not something we can go out and buy or something that can be given to us by another. Joy is found in our hearts. Each of us finds joy in different ways, but it is there for all of us.
Joy can be found in watching a baby sleep, or in my case watching a cat sleep, especially when he is on my lap.. I know the mischief he can cause when awake, but when asleep he is so calm and peaceful. I can’t help but smile.
Joy can be found having dinner out with Kathy to celebrate a special occasion, in this case an anniversary or eating in the car after going through Burger King’s drive through. Even sharing a simple meal at home brings me joy.
What else makes me happy? A bright sunny day. Blue skies dotted with puffy white clouds banish thoughts of gloom.
There are so many other things that bring me joy, some big and some little. All I know is that when I need it most joy will be there for me.
Joy Joy is not limited or confined to a specific size or shape. Joy reaches out in all directions touching more than just one person at a time. Joy is found in our hearts not dependent on anyone else. Joy - may it find us when we need it most.
What brings you joy?
arjeha 
So many sources of joy when you seek them out! Such a thoughtful reminder to “stop and smell the roses”!
I find it sad that some people depend on others to make them happy instead of finding it for themselves.
Great to read your thoughts, Bob. Joy can be found in the most simple things. I love all your photographs. I particularly love your thought – “When I need it most, joy is there for me.” I think I want to make a mini-poster of your thought and post on the fridge. A fabulous mantra and perfect for a gratitude journal. Thank you!
Thanks, Lynne. To add to the joy I just heard from Hershey. They are planning to reopen in November with Waitress. I am ready for some live theater.
Your kitty is so pretty and sweet! I love watching my cat sleep too.
There is definitely a calming factor in having a cat sleep on your lap.
For sure!
Joy is often found in small, simple things. Thanks for this reminder.
Simple things bring joy.
Simple joys are the best joys. They take nothing, but give so much.
How true.
Your reminder of joy coming from the little things rings true to me. One year, I chose JOY as my OLW…and the wonderful year culminated with a grand wedding and the last ever family reunion. I remember to choose joy now regularly…even amidst the sadness of the last few year in my own life.
The nice thing about joy is that in can come in big packages or small quiet events. We just need to be open to it.
The best three-letter word in the world, absolutely! That wide-open O wrapped in the arms of J and Y; If we’re open, there it is!
The key, as you say, is being open.
I love what you’ve shared here, and you’re right. There is so much joy to be found in all of the small places we look. If we really were catching everything, it would certainly fill our hearts to bursting: shared meals, forsythia, moments of sunshine. I’m also partial to sleeping puppies, flair pens, and the particular brand of silence that comes just after you shut the car ignition off…
I find it a shame that so many people expect joy to find them instead of finding it themselves. Joy is all around us if we are open to finding it.
Joy was my one word a few years ago. It is something that is undeniably attached to the Easter season. It is deep within. I was touched that you can find joy in the simplest of things like sharing a Burger King meal, Bob. May this week after Easter fill your heart with endless joy.
Carol, I have found that the older I get the less it takes to make me happy. Just being with those I love is enough even if we are sitting around doing nothing. It is the time spent together that matters and brings joy.
I commend you for what you said, Bob.
Hi Bob, I am working on a poetry month project where I am combining quilts and poems. I am working on a post about the Quilts of Valor. I want to link your blog post where I found this wonderful organization but I also want to make sure I spell your last name correctly. Could you please reply to this so that I can give you credit for the link. Thank you! Here is a link if you want to check out the project. http://adayinthelifeof19b.blogspot.com/search/label/Patchwork%20Poetry
Hi Leigh Ann,
Thank you for this. My last name is Hamera.
Bob