Maybe you connect, as I do, with the ancient king who is quoted saying, “Weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” We’ve had our “night of weeping” in the pandemic, and now I’m looking for the “joy in the morning.” Aren’t you? I think one misses the essence of joy if one tries to “define” it, for isn’t it really a state of being? Let’s focus, instead, on the question, “How can we find—or even create—joy in everyday living, for ourselves and others?”
Can we go looking for joy? Can we actually learn to see it—or find ways to create it? And, in doing so, bring to our lives that sense of gladness and delight we know reveals joy.
For some, joy is rooted in music. The ancient philosophers understood this and today scientists give a quantitative understanding of this connection. Researchers at University of California, Berkeley connected joy and music through extensive analysis, leading to the conclusion that “the subjective experience of music across cultures can be represented through at least 13 key emotions,” and yes, JOY is one of them. You can find the interactive audio map of their findings here.
Some will find joy in nature, like taking a garden walk, alone or with a friend. You might find refreshment from the sounds of birds singing, rabbits scurrying along their worn paths, or the running of water against a rock.
Still others will find joy in art. Imagine the joy from seeing this amazing exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston entitled “Hockney – Van Gogh: The Joy of Nature.” Here’s a link so you can enter into a moment of joy right now. Double the joy by sharing the link!
I’m finding the greatest joy in my family. It’s the oh-so-joyous-it’s-painful moment of seeing my darling 18-month grandchild “singing” along with me his first few words—baa, baa, from that nursery rhyme, “baa, baa little sheep, have you any wool?” And when he looks at me with those eyes so bright, so proud of his newest accomplishment, and I hug him with, yes, joy!
In co-founding ALICEhelps, I’m finding a special joy—that of giving to older adults, and those who each day face the challenge of disability or disadvantage, meaningful health related resources I found missing during the many years of care I gave to my Mother, Alice. Embedded in the fabric of this platform is this notion of joy—of giving to others in ways that bring them joy along their journey, whether it’s by sharing a song, walk, child’s drawing, or family time. We’re working to create tools that enable us to share and give… and, in so doing, find our own joy in everyday living.