Hi! Joy
Last month I wrote to you about joy. How experiencing joy is in our control in any given setting, and how it’s really the antidote to a lot of the negative effects of stress. Considering, pursuing and experiencing joy are all activities that improve our mental and physical health.
So this week I was reminded of the usefulness of those pursuits.
I was walking to meet a friend for dinner when plans changed and I found myself with an evening free. You need to understand that this was during the couple of weeks I have this year without any kids at home so, all of a sudden, I was truly accountable to no one for that evening. As I thought about what I’d like to do with this gift of a free night, I thought “If any of the boys were home, I’d ask them if they wanted to go to Kennywood!” Kennywood is Pittsburgh’s full on, old-fashioned amusement park and is celebrating their 125th anniversary this summer.
Anyway, I felt a bit nostalgic and a little sad, and then I realized something: I could still go to Kennywood!
Feeling like a teenager getting away with something, I hopped in my car, drove 12 minutes down the road, was rewarded with an amazing parking spot as so many families were leaving the park to go home for dinner, and jogged to the ticket booth. I walked in, filled with this giddy, fizzy sense of pure fun and proceeded to ride every steel coaster and silly ride I felt like, gorged on cheese fries and lemonade and then staggered my way out just as the park was closing.
I didn’t really notice if anyone looked at me weird for being a 52 year old woman waiting alone for the first car on all the coasters, or sitting at the Potato Patch with my fries, reading my book on my phone, or taking my turn at the water pistols game to see if I could win something. But boy oh boy, did I notice my joy.
And that evening of joy really encouraged me! Since then, I’ve been finding joy in all kinds of big and small moments. Laughing til I couldn’t breathe when my 18 year old called to tell me stories about his 11 year old campers and their paint-covered Capture the Flag game last night. Listening to one of my best friends play his guitar and sing to a room people who love him. Picking up my person from the airport. Looking at the first tiny, gnarled apple to grow on the tree my youngest and I planted last year.
Turns out, joy takes practice.
My person and I are headed out on vacation today, so for the next two weeks (you’ll hear from me again in August) I’m giving you a little worldwork. Go find a bit of joy, would you? And tell me about it?
It’ll make us all safer, healthier and certainly happier.
All my best,
Dr. G
