Joy Moments

Is it easy for you to find joy admist tough times?  Or are you like me and finding those bright spots in tough times is ... well ... tough?

What about joy in just the everyday?  Do you easily recognize those fleeting moments of joy admist the housecleaning, work, errands, diapers, etc.?  Or does the day go by and leave you feeling joy-less?

I don't always recognize those fleeting "joy moments" in the everyday.  And in terms of difficult circumstances, forget it.  I tend to get too wrapped up in the circumstances themselves and don't see those precious joy moments when they come.  No matter how small.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  I do think that no matter what is happening in someone's life it is important to still recognize those small moments of joy that can crop up unexpectantly.  For me, even when dealing with the loss of a pregnancy, there were moments of joy that I'm sure I didn't recognize at the time.

It's good for our health as well.  Just to smile one time can do a world of wonder for our bodies.  Not to mention our souls.  And I believe sharing those joy moments with friends can help lift up the spirits of those who are dealing with difficulties and aren't able to recognize their own joy moments.

I said above that I sometimes find it difficult to recognize what I call "joy moments."  And yet, when I hear other people's joy moments I start recognizing them in my life as well.

Joy moments don't have to be big, most likely they will be small.  A sunset that catches your attention; the mildew on a morning spiderweb on the back porch; your toddler smiling at you; hearing form a friend who you haven't talked to in a while; the cashier at the grocery store smiling and being polite when you've had a rough day.  If it brings a smile to your face, even for just a moment, that's a moment of joy!

Being on bedrest was what got me thinking about this.  One of my doctors talked to me about depression and while thinking about that possibility, this is what came to mind.  The best way to deal with endless days on the couch in the same room, is to recognize the little joys around me when they occur.

Now, I can't say I've been particularly successful at this.  But I am trying to keep it on my mind so that I will recognize the Joy Moments in my life.  So once a week (Tuesdays?), I plan on posting at least one Joy Moment.

But I also want to hear about your Joy Moment!!  You can leave a comment on my post, or post about your Joy Moment on your own blog and leave a link to the post in the comments here.  We'll see how far we can spread this, maybe if enough bloggers are interested we can look into adding a Mr. Linky or something.  But we'll start small for now.

So with that intro, my recent Joy Moment:

After Mass on Sunday a lady who I see every week but have never talked to approached me and asked when I was due.  She also asked for my name and said she would be praying for me.  I've been so touched by all the prayers and support from so many and it was even more touching to have a stranger approach me and offer to pray for us.  It made me smile and thank God for the wonderful people in my parish.

What is your Joy Moment?
Leave a comment or write about it on your own blog and leave a link to the post in the comments here.  Looking forward to sharing our Joy Moments!!