Simple Joys

Welcome to Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter. Life hurls fastballs, curveballs, and

strikes at us. If you aren’t a baseball fan, Life throws a bunch of junk at us that keeps us constantly in motion and in a state of flux. With no manual to Life it is difficult to navigate at times, and even more difficult if you have children. When Life threatens to be too overwhelming I try to refocus on the Simple Joys that occur at the oddest times. By living Life in the moment and embracing the good that comes out of any situation, Life has become much more manageable. Simple Joys is the key to my happier healthier living. Now, without further ado, is this week’s Simple Joys.

Eye Doctor. I had never been to an eye doctor having better than 20/20 vision my entire life. My eldest was told it was a “good idea” to see one at his well visit so I asked around and contacted the one eye doctor who was highly recommended. Since my son was going I thought might as well get myself an appointment as my arms had recently become too short. The doctor’s office was located at the rear of the Costco Optical Center and was small but friendly and inviting. My three children were equipped with a bag of goods from home, but were still rambunctious at the late afternoon hour of the appointment that butted up to dinnertime. Hearing the doctor tell me that she, too, had three children (two boys and a little girl) put me at ease, and that my son didn’t need glasses but did have a fixable problem made me relieved! Her diagnosis will send me to a specialist who she assured me would be able to fix his problem within 4-6 months. That his affliction was the reason reading and schoolwork was a problem for him and there was not only hope but a viable attainable solution within reach. Learning that and receiving the news was the most wondrous Simple Joy of the last several years!

Eye Doctor Part II. When I finally got my turn in the Doctor’s chair I was frazzled. My three children were bouncing off the walls (I think literally), and I was a bit nervous never having been to an eye doctor before. The doctor spoke to the children in a friendly but firm manner, easily ignored their cacophony and administered a wonderful exam. My husband, hero and great partner that he is, arrived from work and joined me and the children in the exam room. It came to pass that I need reading glasses. This was not heart-breaking news to me; on the contrary, I am thrilled and am champing at the bit to get my reading glasses! Too long I have suffered blurry vision reading at night; I had chalked it up to tiredness (I don’t sleep a heck of a lot) but now I know it was an element of time. Picking out glasses at the Costco Optical Center was a secret thrill! The tech helped me pick some awesome frames, and now I am waiting for the text that the glasses are done. I feel like a kid at Christmas! I hope the feeling never wears off as anticipating my reading glasses is a terrific Simple Joy!

Playing Hooky. My middle boy was sick over Christmas, was on the way to wellness, but then picked up another illness once back in school. By week’s end we both needed a break from the “Rat Race” so I called the boy in sick at school and kept him with me. We ran a few necessary errands, found some terrific bargains at the local discount store (75% off Christmas items) and came home to a tasty homemade lunch. Once his sister went down for her nap we spent a glorious afternoon together playing Legos like we used to do last year when he was in Nursery School and was home in the afternoons. This little boy has grown into such a smart, intelligent, and competent boy. We worked on a large set my son had gotten for Christmas that takes several hours to complete. Before long my eldest came home, my daughter awoke, and the hum of ordinary home life sounded, but for a few short hours we were carefree and happy enjoying each other and the Simple Joy of our time together.

Being There. There was stress and consternation, a feeling of inadequacy and frustration, and it erupted. The details are private but the bottom line was that we were there for one another. We didn’t judge the anger, we didn’t try to curb the intensity, and we just rode it out. Once a calm was settled in we worked out the problem together. We were being there for each other. That’s why we have made it nineteen years married and twenty-five years together; we are a true team, a partnership, the yin and yang and the balance that creates harmony. Being there for my husband is a Simple Joy I relish to this day.

Anniversary. We celebrated our 19th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. My husband took the day off although he didn’t plan to do so. I needed some bloodwork and thus needed his help with the children. Other spouses may have huffed and puffed, but he insisted. It was a lost day, spent shuffling back and forth between the lab and getting children on and off school buses. My in-laws arrived back in the States after a prolonged visit with their other son and his family in the Middle East. We weren’t sure if we should simply spend the night in visiting with them or going out to celebrate our anniversary without having to pay for a sitter. We wound up doing both; we visited with my in-laws who were utterly exhausted and went out for a late dinner. While dining and exchanging token gifts of affection we realized (again) that our marriage of 19 years and the 25 total years we have spent together are a testament to our love. That in addition to the wild passion we still feel for one another it is our deep and abiding friendship that keeps us together as a couple. We experience rocky tumultuous times, but the resounding friendship we share keeps us focused and together. Spending quality time alone together and having undivided attention for one another is a Simple Joy we enjoy all too infrequently but nourishes us completely.

Chief 187™Chatter and the Simple Joys blogs are not in any way meant as anything other than my experiences, joys, hopes, and fears manifested on these pages. I am flawed. My husband is flawed. My children are flawed. But, together, as imperfect as we are, we love each other perfectly. We see through bad times to the sunshine that exists. We forgive and try to forget. We outlast all others in our lives and still smile broadly and completely at one another. The Simple Joys we share solidifies our love and relationship day after day,

week after week, month after month, and year after year. Simple Joys are the key to our relationship, our happiness. I hope by reading these words weekly you appreciate the Simple Joys you experience and find they help you get through the rough times.

Join me tomorrow when I wax poetic on yet another topic on Chief 187™Chatter.