Month of Joy: A Few Candidates by Mike Reeves-McMillan
Thanks, Skiffy and Fanty, for asking what brings me joy — because now I’m thinking about that, and that’s a good thing. Especially in these times. There are a few candidates. Erin, my spouse of nearly 19 years. Marrying her still ranks as the best decision I ever made, and I’m still astonished sometimes that someone so amazing would choose me. Being married to someone with a chronic illness isn’t all joy, certainly; it can be tough. But I knew that was the deal going in, and going through the tough times together makes the joy stand out more against the background.
Month of Joy: On Joy, Sorrow, and Cats by Beth Cato
We know joy in contrast to sorrow, and my past two months have been a blur of sorrow. My sweet cat Porom succumbed to kidney failure in late October after blessing us with over 17 years of purrs. Yes, she was named for the character from Final Fantasy IV. Her twin brother Palom died from cancer in 2012. For the first time since I was seven, I have no cats. But I am here to celebrate Porom, and to look at January 2018 as a month where I will find new joy. I am adopting new cats. I write these words in December, and truth be told, I have never felt so impatient for the holidays to be over. I want January. I want new furballs to love and cherish for decades to come.
Month of Joy: A Few of my Joyful Things by Kay Kenyon
1. That feeling when I’ve done a good day’s work and I’m going to bed early with a good book that I have already started reading and so I know it’s a good book, unlike brand new reads that may disappoint me and then I have to find a new one and my evening routine is ruined. Oh, this was going to be about JOY and not crushing disappointment, so I soldier on: 2. When the snow all around the neighborhood turns blue for about ten minutes at sunset.
