Mary Pat Curran :: FLAVORS OF JOY
My family planned a week-long vacation where we could relax, reconnect, and have fun at a home in southern Pennsylvania. My husband’s side of the family planned a cookout in Wisconsin that also turned into a birthday party for my brother-in-law. One followed the other, so away my hubby and I went. We headed towards Pennsylvania first to hang with my family. We hadn’t seen each other for several months, and Michael, my husband, hadn’t seen them in over a year. The group of us hung out, hiked, and did jigsaw puzzles together. Some went ziplining while others kayaked. Everyone took turns preparing evening meals. And, I had to get working 34
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At the beginning of August I had the opportunity to see both sides of my family.
on this article, so I asked them for their ideas about joy and navigating joy. I’d like to share their responses. Joy is enjoying the moment, seeing beauty in nature, being with others and having fun, and also, for some, being alone and enjoying the peace of their surroundings and what they’re doing. Skiing, running, and walking are some of the ways that joy is experienced as is being with people we love and seeing them succeed or be joyful themselves; sharing in the moment with them. And there is joy in watching others change and grow over time. Joy is feeling relief or comfort, and moments where we’re engaged with our senses and really drinking it all in. Joy can be experienced upon reflection, too, of moments that made us happy or full of life. Joy can be as simple as enjoying an entire Costco chocolate muffin instead of just half. When I asked about navigating joy my family found this question trickier to answer. On one hand, joy is found in the unscripted moments that happen. And on the other hand, we can choose to do things we know will bring us those feelings of joy. Things like purposely having ice cream just because you enjoy it. Or choosing to hang out with people that lift you up and with whom you have fun. We can “navigate to joy” by making decisions that will lead us
