What Brings Me JOY
This post came to me over the weekend as I sat at the table drinking coffee before heading out for a run! Most of these you probably already know about me, but I think it is a good reminder that life does not need to be complicated and that finding joy in the simple things is truly a beautiful thing. My mood lately is just to spread light and love. I know super cheesy, but it is what I want for myself and hopefully it inspires others to spread the joy too!
When you can find beauty in the simplest of things…You are WINNING!
FLOWERS
If you don’t find beauty or JOY in flowers, I don’t know if we can be friends…Flowers bring joy, light, happiness, a smile every time I see them. Whenever I am in Nantucket I am that person taking pictures of the hydrangeas, the roses, the window boxes, the wildflowers. They are everywhere and I always leave with my phone literally being taken over by bright beautiful flowers. I stop deleting them, because scrolling and looking at them, always bring me JOY!
READING
As you all know…I love to read. I love library books. I love getting off the waitlist and picking up my books. I love to escape reality when I read, as it allows my brain to slow down and relax. You will not find me reading books about politics, quantum physics, self-help, or historical books, it isn’t me and it doesn’t bring me joy. I am not reading total junkie books, but I like to read what everyone calls “summer reads”. It is a book that I can read on the beach, the plane, bed, and just be at peace.
My most recent read was the new release by Kristin Hannah “The Women” and I loved every single second of it. I have read a lot of her books and they are always pretty powerful and emotional and this one did not disappoint. It is about a young nurse who enlists in the army after just graduating to go to Vietnam. She ends up staying for two tours and her re-entry back into “normal” life is heart breaking and long journey of addiction, sadness, nightmares, loss, and grief. It is so well written and emotional and as always is a beautiful ending. I highly recommend this one during the summer. It will suck you in. You will cry. You will admire the men and women who served. You will feel all the emotions, but also see how hard life can be, but with hard work, love, support, and grace, you can come back from anything.
Up next, I am reading Nora Roberts “Mind Games.
FOOD
I LOVE food…I LOVE talking about food…I LOVE enjoying it with friends…I LOVE the whole experience of eating out! Food is full of JOY and also LOVE! And it is even better when you have you a Mom who is an amazing cook and friends who share the same passion. Food is fun and to me it is always fun to talk about. Plus, food can’t talk back to you! It is a simple thing that brings me joy. And as you know, I keep my meals simple too. Real wholesome ingredients that fuel my lifestyle, but also make me happy from the inside out.
I have come a long way with food and at times it has been a struggle, but I am more at peace with my body and with what I eat. It is something that I am very proud of. Lately my current cravings have been butter, oatmeal raisin cookies, and no surprise…all the red meat please! How cool is it that our bodies and appetites are always changing? And when you can honor that and feed it what it wants, it is even more fun.
SWIMMING
Salty hair…Salty skin…the ocean cures ALL! The best free therapy to me (besides movement) is, the ocean, the waves, the sunshine, the grounding of your toes in the grainy sand. It calms my mind, my soul, my body. I can sit there alone or with the pups smiling, laughing, or crying. I feel at peace with myself and my feelings and I never regret spending that precious time by the beautiful sea. Think about it, do dogs ever look miserable when they are running on the beach? They are smart and they know, so maybe humans learn some lessons from our four legged friends.
Mermaid Hair…Mermaid Vibes…Mermaid MOOD!
What brings you JOY!
xoxo
