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: Finding Joy in a Fountain Pen by Keith A. Manuel
One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2018 is to take up writing by hand again. I bought my first ever fountain pen, a Pilot Metropolitan, and the most un-holiday-ish Christmas cards I could find on after-holiday discount at my local big retailer store. I also picked up a nice journal and some color pencils. My tools are ready for a year of putting pen to paper. I’ll see how it goes, one page and one day at a time. It seems a retro, nostalgic thing to write this way, but I’m not alone. The Internet of all places is a good place to find pen pals. The prospect of having to wait a week or more for a response to a message when we have multiple, popular direct messaging platforms, Twitter and Facebooks public posts, email, and blogs for instant communication, whether to whoever is interested to read it or to a more restricted audience.
Month of Joy: Pens and Ink by Anne Lyle
When I was eleven years old I started at the local girls’ grammar school, where it was mandatory to use a fountain pen for “neat work”: homework, tests and so on. My parents bought me a Parker 45 Flighter, a pretty swanky pen for a kid, and I felt very grown up using it. That pen served me well through school and university, and for years it was the only fountain pen I owned, apart from a battered vintage Conway Stewart that I sadly lost somewhere along the way.
Month of Joy: A Story by Sandra Odell
Skiffy and Fanty came from stage right, banging drums and spangling spangles. “Help us celebrate our Month of Joy! Tell us what makes your heart sing!” I glared at them from the cold prison of the center spotlight. “Go away. Life is 2017, and darkness, and despair, and a sucking miasma of hate and lousy chocolate.” “Are you so sure about that?” said a voice just off-stage. I squinted into the shadows. “Who said that?” Happiness entered stage left; a quiet, joyful presence come from the wings. “Hello, old friend.”
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.
Month of Joy: On Joy by James L. Sutter
When Skiffy and Fanty invited me to write a post about what brings me joy, I knew immediately that I needed to write about my wife, Margo. “Oh great,” you’re thinking. “Another generic, maudlin post about how much somebody loves their spouse.” Well, not exactly. See, eight years ago, Margo got really sick. When the two of us first got together, physical activity was Margo’s life. She was a national-championship-level ultimate frisbee player. She’d recently completed the Pacific Crest Trail, living in the woods for 5 months as she hiked from Mexico to Canada. Our first date was a 6-mile walk around a lake. Girl liked to move.
