Joy is sometimes tough to find. Many of our lives are so hectic. I don’t know about you, but my life has taken on such an accelerated pace, I have to consciously slow my mind down while driving to my Mom’s hospital and remember to find the joy in the beauty of the vineyards, the grape trolleys trundling down the road this time of year, the big orange pumpkins that are appearing in the fields, and the leaves changing to gorgeous reds and yellows.

If you have been following my columns, you know that I have a new grandson. I find myself doing the silliest things just to make him smile and laugh. I shamelessly sing him the little songs I remember from childhood and I’m no “diva.” I dance with him because my fervent hope is that he will grow to be a man who actually loves to dance. And, although I know that his generation’s music will be far different from my own, I want him to feel a certain appreciation and nostalgia when he remembers dancing with Nana to “I Wanna Hold Your Hand!” He is also learning to waltz and especially enjoys getting “dipped.” Spending time with him is a real joy and I forget for those moments that I have 50 things I need to do for my Mom to make sure she has what she needs at this time in her life. And, I forget what’s happening with our economy and the war and all the other scary things that are going on worldwide. The joy I feel when he grabs my hand with his tight little chubby fist and smiles his very own smile surprises me. Obviously, I’m smitten. And I love watching my husband with him too.

Joy is often unexpected and very addictive. I spend a lot of time living “inside my head.” But, it’s when I am engaged with people and nature that I get those blasts of joy. When my friend of nearly 50 years calls and tells me that she loves me and fills me in on the things her wonderful kids and husband are doing, I feel joyful. When my brother survives a car race and calls me with an adrenalin rush in full swing…feeling his own joy…I feel it too (and feel especially joyful that he was able to make the call!)

When I hear from readers that they love the site and that one of the columns really helped them in some way, I am joyful. And, I love it when those readership stats climb skyward.

Yes, my friends would say that I have said this has been the worst year of my life. But, there have been wonderful things too and in my quest for living in the moment, I never want to miss the opportunity to feel the JOY!  When you are stressed out with life, take a deep breath, look around, find the joy where you are and then share it with a friend, your lover, or a stranger.

I was at Costco the other day, hoisting my 30 pound crates of kitty litter into my trunk wishing that someone would walk by and give me a hand. (Well, if the truth were known, I was wishing some young, strong, sweet guy would have mercy on me.) I was returning from taking my cart back and saw a woman about ready to hoist a HUGE bag of dog food onto her truck. I stopped and asked if she would like some help. And, she was so surprised because, face it, how often does that happen! It amazed me how easy it was to lift when we did it together. It made me feel joyful that I had been able to help.

And the best part of writing this column is that I got to look back over the last couple of weeks and find the JOY!