From Chaos Comes Happiness

I have been inspired since my last post to "Find the Joy", and wanted to hop in today and tell you about this journey and what I am doing. I have to tell you . . . I can already feel the difference within myself. In two short days, I am already taking more time to stop and be - stop and focus - stop and breath. All of it. The goal, and what my plan is . . . is to post photos of items and moments each and every day when I have FOUND the JOY. My goal is to capture (at least) 100 moments. They will be little things . . . big things . . . anything that has helped me stop the downward spiral that has been happening in my head and has helped me feel joy.   If you want to follow my journey each day - follow me on Instagram here  (side note: you have to have an Instagram account in order to access my Instagram.)  I will also be posting a weekly recap here on the blog.  I am using the hashtag #100JOYFCCH  .  .  . (the FCCH stands for the name of thi...

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about JOY this week. What brings it? How do we find it? What does it feel like? Who do we share it with?  Do you ever think about who you share your joy with? Lately . . . in my house . . . I feel as if we share more joy with strangers or people outside of our house than we do with the people inside.  My husband just got home from my daughters college. We both spent some time with her over the weekend - but took separate cars because of timing. I left a couple hours earlier today and stopped to pick up groceries, came home and cleaned the fridge, started laundry, and got some things done around the house. He stayed with her and took her to lunch, then drove home. When he walked in, he was cranky. A grouch. Since I had a couple hours to get some things accomplished, I was in a good mood. He looked like he was mad. Mad at the world. Mad at me. When I asked him, he said "I am tired. Is that ok?"  Of course. We all get tired.  ...

  Driving into work one day this week, I was blown away by the beautiful sunrise unfolding in front of me. The Morning. I stopped my car while pulling in and took a few photos of the sky. The photo, of course, doesn't do justice to the sun rays illuminating behind the clouds. I wish I could have captured it clearer for you - it was glorious.  I sat right there in my car for a few minutes, taking it in. It changed quickly and I was grateful that I caught it for the brief minute (or two) when it looked like this. It was everything I needed that morning - a moment to breathe in and reflect. Focus. Be.  When I look at the photo now, it makes me think of some people who have stepped out of my life the past year. People who left - not in death, but for whatever their own reasonings may be. And it is now, looking at this picture, that I find myself coming to terms with this process . . . the loss of people from our circles who are still very much alive, but who needed to le...

I've started a new chapter, friends . . . in my Book of Life.  I sat down tonight and thought about it - my book. I haven't thought about it in a long time. We each have our own book, you know? Some are long-drawn-out novels, others are short and sweet novellas. Some are cliff notes with only key moments included, others are multiple volumes in great lengths discussing every single battle in great detail. Some are strictly illustration, others have an extensive collection of footnotes that are longer than the story itself. But my story is mine, and yours is yours.  They started the day we were born, and have grown to carry each moment that makes us who we are.  I love thinking about people in my life, and wondering what their Book of Life looks like. Soft cover or hard? Hand-bound or spiral?  Big or Little? Would there be any photos, or would the words alone paint the images in our minds? I think every single book would be worth reading, and can only imagine wha...

It's a crazy kind of world right now. Crazy. I last wrote in April. It is now May (just two days away from June). We are still doing social distancing due to the Covid19 pandemic that has taken over our world this year. But we slowly . . .   slowly . . . are moving back to some sort of normal living. Or, I guess I should say towards a new way of living. A new normal. And I think I am afraid. I mean, I am ready for it. Of course. Aren't we all? But there is a strange comfort that has taken over in the past two months. And the future is still this crazy land of unknowing. A land of unclear circumstances and a different world than it was 3 months ago. Boy oh boy - is it ever. Phil is still on reduced hours and salary. Working only two days a week and receiving 40% of his pay. It has been a really difficult time for him. Anxiety is high. Patience is low. Being unclear on the future of your career is a pretty scary scenario. He has found a few projects here or there aroun...

"Are you writing during this time?" my friend asked. "No," I answered. "Don't you think you should?" she asked. "I don't know," I answered. My friend. She knows me. She loves me. She knows that writing is my therapy. She knows that it is what I do when I am working through challenges in life.  "Don't you think you should?" She also knows that if she plants that little seed in my ear, it will more than likely grab hold of some part of this brain and grow it's little roots in every part of my being . . . until . . . I write. Damn. Friends. ;) I am not writing right now. Because, for the past 11 years, I have taken pride in always finding a way to the positive during rather dark and dismal times. Yes, I do that. I try to see through the challenges and find the silver lining. But right now, I can't do that. Because right now, the emotions I have swirling in my head don't seem to have silve...