Things That Bring Me Joy Today

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Oh it's a cozy beautiful morning as I write this and I am overwhelmed by its loveliness. It is so quiet. It is overcast. My home feels clean and orderly. I just lit a few candles, including my sweet smelling "protection" candle. The candle is infused with essential oils and here is the inscription it comes with.

"I invoke the spirit to guide and protect me. My faith assures that only the positive may touch my being. I am safe and at ease in body and spirit."

I don't know how power-filled this candle actually is, but it can't hurt, right? While I am sitting here so peacefully, I can't help thinking of all my many blessings and counting a few. It's always good to sit back and think about the things that are bringing us great joy in the moment. Here are a few of things that, to the bottom of my soul, bring me joy right now.

• Seeing The Man's face on Skype and catching that totally authentic sweet smile that creeps across his face the first moment he sees me on screen. He tries to hide it, but he can't, which makes me love it even more.

• That moment when I sit down after The Bug is put to bed and I miss her like crazy and can't wait until morning to be with her again.

• Good people who without being asked march right up and help their friends in need. I love watching you people live and love and I strive to be like you.

• Change, I am happy for change. Change brings about fresh air, fresh thoughts and new experiences. In every change there are blessings to be found. While it's not always initially welcome, there is always something good within.

• Listening to myself. One of the great blessings of the passing of years is that you learn to understand yourself and life around you much more easily and quickly. I am so grateful that I have listened to myself in recent weeks. This has taught me things that I otherwise would've rushed through or brushed aside. By carefully and thoughtfully listening to myself, I have learned I need to slow down, need to do more that makes my heart sing, need more rest, need to eat very healthily, need to take more risks and need to continually refocus myself on what is really most important to me. What grand lessons.

• Letting things be. Sometimes we think we know how everything and everyone in our lives should be and by gosh if we aren't determined to fix it all. I am learning more and more that the beauty of life is most often in just flowing with things as they are and are meant to be, rather than trying to impose my limited perspective on the greater picture. This makes life so much more peaceful. And it's always good to remember that God is in charge and helping along and teaching his children. We need not pursue our desire to fix others. Our job is to love. To love others. To love life as it comes and look for the good and noble in our every day. Life is so much easier when we don't try to take charge.

How about you? What things are tickling your toes with joy these days? Isn't it a happy thought? Lovely, lovely. As the fall days begin to quiet life down, I hope you too have a few moments with lit candles, a cup of tea and a quiet spot to feel your joy and savor it.