My morning walks with my dog Buford can bring grey skies with raindrops hitting me in the face. He will tug and pull me to stop as he sniffs the ground, this is when I stop too and smell the roses. I breathe in the day. We may run into a stranger who chooses to walk by without a response to my greeting of, hello. I smile anyway and am ready for the next passerby regardless if they respond or not. The sunlight  may or may not peek through the clouds. The fog may be so thick over the bay I can only trust that in the distance there are snow capped mountains.

I choose joy.

The other day scrubbing the toilet, spraying Windex on the mirror, re-filling the jar with Q-tips, on my hands and knees cleaning those hard to get to places I found joy among these mundane tasks. I wasn’t doing something particularly thrilling or life changing, I was cleaning my house. I began singing. Singing from my heart. Off key, but having such a blast. I paused briefly to acknowledge that I was giddy with delight and it all had to do with my frame of mind not the task at hand.

I choose joy.

Exchanging words with my teenage daughter is like riding a roller coaster blindfolded. You never know if I said the right thing, the wrong thing or what exactly is going on behind those beautiful hazel eyes of hers. So I ask. And sometimes I get an answer and sometimes I get a hand, Not now, mom. Nothing, mom. I take none of it personally and I am filled with joy watching her become a young woman, finding her own way even if sometimes it appears we are both lost.

I choose joy.

A rainy day, scrubbing the toilet, butting heads with a teenager. All of it joy. If I wait for the sunny day, until after everything is clean and in order, a child to be in a good mood I will miss out. Miss out on the beauty and utter joy of it all.

Where in your life would you like joy? Feel more joy in your heart? What would happen if instead of waiting for it, you created it, right from where you are standing. It’s a choice. Will you choose joy?

Cheers, Jenny