Simple Joys

Welcome to Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.

In any given week there is so much that can wreck sanity, serenity, and peace. That’s just life.

But with a positive attitude, a fighting spirit, and the tools to know how, Simple Joys can permeate your life and make it not only tolerable but full of joy.

For those suffering it may seem unattainable and impossible for Simple Joys to be a part of one’s life. Pain, fear, anger and frustration are powerful and all-encompassing.

But it truly is a choice to change one’s attitude, to strive for a happier life, and to open oneself up to the Simple Joys that exist for all.

It’s not always easy and many are the times we need to ask for help – from doctors, from God/Higher Power, from friends and family. But in admitting weakness we are stronger than ever before if we reach out for help and accept it.

Simple Joys are never truly out of reach, we just forget how to access them sometimes. Open your heart and your mind to the possibility that Simple Joys will enter your life and they will! It really is that simple!

And now, without further ado, is this week’s Simple Joys.

Music. I can’t explain it, words fail. The feeling I get when a song comes on I love defies logic. The organic, chemical feeling that courses through my body when the song resonates deeply with me is so powerful.

It’s not one type of music, one artist or band; the songs vary. I could be listening to music from my past, something new and wonderful, or even a Christmas song that I adore and my mood is elevated, I am newly inspired and enriched, and I carry the feeling for a long time.

Surrounding me with my favorite music is a Simple Joy that keeps me going with a smile on my face and in my heart.

NASCAR tradition. I watch NASCAR races as a fan but also to educate myself for writing articles and doing radio about NASCAR’s Cup series as well as the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series. I enjoy watching the races with my online friends and fellow fans.

I do my best to tune into the races before the green flag falls so I can soak in the traditions that make our sport great.
From the pre-race prayer to the singing of the National Anthem that makes my heart swell with pride, especially when every driver, crew member, and audience member stands quietly and reverently while it is sung with hands over their hearts or saluting, I am awed by the continuity these traditions provide for race fans.

These actions pull at my heartstrings, keep me connected to my sport, and provide me with Simple Joys week in and week out during the racing season.

Leaves. My husband is a very good man. He stayed home on Saturday to mow the lawn and rake the leaves on our property while I took the three children to swim lessons at the Y.

When we returned to the house a few hours later my husband was showered and excited. He had made the biggest leaf pile we had ever seen in the back yard. The children (and I ) had the absolute best time – with reckless abandon – jumping into the leaves, throwing the leaves, and burying each other in the leaves!

Enjoying autumn in all of its glory with my children in reckless abandon is a Simple Joy I cherish and hope to remember for a lifetime.

Pumpkin picking. Like jumping in leaf piles, picking pumpkins annually is another tradition our family holds dear. We have been going to the same farm for over a decade with our family and watch as the children grow, the memories collect, and the fall festivities mount.
Their childhood is so fleeting; we feel so lucky to have the children all still look forward to this yearly trek to pick the pumpkins, play on the playground, and spend quality time together.

Pumpkin picking is an annual Simple Joy that makes our autumn spectacular!

My husband. In this cold, bleak, callous, pessimistic world in which we live I have a man who loves me unconditionally, finds me outrageously attractive after age, three children and a ton of extra pounds have quite literally weighed me down, and is still my very best friend.

Divorce is common in the world today. But I cannot imagine my life without my husband; my best friend, my lover, the father of my children, my rock, and, quite frankly, my everything. I will happily stick with the marriage.

The formula for my Simple Joys begins, contains, and ends with my husband.

Having him in my life is an ongoing, continuous, and awe-inspiring Simple Joy.

I have been blessed with much in my life, but I have also suffered greatly. Pain of all kinds have been inflicted, suffering on many levels has been experienced, and there were times that giving up seemed the best idea. Simple Joys were nowhere to be found.

But deep down I dug to hold on to hope, trust in my Higher Power, and put a smile on my face. There are choices in life daily. I choose each day to look for the good in people, embrace the positive, and find my Simple Joys.

These are my personal lists of Simple Joys I post weekly.

I stumble, fall, get hurt, make mistakes, get angry, resentful, and pissy like the rest of the world. But I try each and every day to start over, put the smile back on my face, look for the good, give others kind words, and forgive others and myself.

Writing Simple Joys gives me a positive perspective on life. It forces me to count my blessings and stay focused on what is good.

I hope reading my Simple Joys inspires you to open your heart to yours. Whether you write yours down, say them out loud, or merely think of them, acknowledging your Simple Joys opens the door wider for ever more to find you.

Wishing you all a week filled with Simple Joys.