Joys

I got my laptop back on Tuesday, but it's taking me some time to get everything set up again. One annoyance is that my battery life seems to have decreased by 1/3 since I had to take it out and let it sit while my computer was at IBM.

One sad thing is that I lost all my scholarship essays that I slaved over last month, but I will have to do them all over again next year anyway. No news yet - I didn't get one that I applied for, but I did get some backend assistance in lieu...which was lovely and a real gift to hear that my application was so highly regarded, as I seem to be as well. It made my day of laundry drudgery much better yesterday!

Our Wellspring topic on Monday is Joy.

Some thoughts:
I haven't been journaling lately. At this stage in my journey, I am feeling much more introspective and have been thinking about how enmeshed all my different roles are: RE Administrator, homeschooler, parent, congregant, student. I had a wonderful meeting with my spiritual advisor last week, and we talked a lot about this, and about ministerial formation. I am having some bumps in the road in some of my friendships as I transform, but the joy is that these people are loving and beloved, and we will work through it.

A simple joy is that everytime I return from a dog walk, or work, or an errand, my 2 yo daughter throws her arms wide open and shouts, "You came back!!" when I walk in the door. Unadulterated love and happiness to be welcomed in such a way!

Walking the dog each morning lately, the sun is behind me as I walk east, and I can feel the warmth increasing by the time I walk back with my face into the sun. The combination of mental fuzziness dispersing with my meditative walk, coffee injection and sun is fabulous.

Watching the dog bound with joy in the spring air each time I take him out. He embodies joy every day.

The text messages and snippets of paper with love notes on them from my 10 yo daughter throughout each day. That she still thinks I'm the best mom in the world, despite all my failings, is both joyful and humbling.

The gift of homeschooling and togetherness that we have the privilege to enjoy.

My marriage is a joy. It just keeps getting better; not something I expected 5 years ago. To miss my husband each day while he's at work is a joy, because I know that being reunited in the evening will be so fulfilling.

Simple joys, gifts of grace.