Every Day Joy

Chipped finger nail polish. Burnt dinner. Loads of laundry. Grocery shopping.

This is every day life and is what my week has been about. Don't get me wrong this week has been fine considering its the first week "back-to-reality" but for whatever reason this week I have found joy in the every day moments of life. Maybe its because the holidays feel like a whirl-wind and leave you feeling exhausted but in the first few days of 2016 I have found delight in the every day mundane things. Last week I was on vacation several days and oh what it did to my soul. The feeling of not setting an alarm, going through our home and purging things we don't use/need/want, and cooking dinner at a reasonable time felt wonderful! That feeling of being at home and truly enjoying your space and the one you share it with has continued to flow over into this week and I think that is why I have enjoyed the little things.

As grateful as I am for our home and our jobs, this week has been rather busy. Jace got slammed at work and didn't get home one night until 8 PM. I had fixed dinner that night and honey, I burnt it. Have you ever smelt burnt cabbage before? Well its a smell you won't forget. I got home and started fixing dinner after I got a few chores done. I was tired and started reading a new blog and next thing I knew I was scrapping polish sausage, onions, bell peppers, and cabbage from the bottom of the skillet. When Jace got home, it was evident dinner was not going to be stellar and God Bless him he just ate it anyway. It was late, we were both tired, but we looked at each other and said at least its hot. Dinner was bad (Jace won't say it but as the cook, I can) but we still sat down at the table and caught up. Over burnt dinner, I was thankful for Jace and the moment we had together even if it was late. Sitting at the dinner table with him and going over our day is one of my most favorite moments of my day. The sense of home that he brings me in that moment is pure joy.

This week at work my heart has broken over hearing three stories of loved ones passing or hurting. You know how the saying goes, things always happen in threes and by Wednesday I had heard three sad stories. Hearing the stories made me think of how blessed my family is in that we are healthy and happy and I realize not everyone's life is like this. You just never know what kind of demons people are facing. Lately, I have been praying for more patience, more love, more grace because I know I need others to show that to me. The feeling when someone does this for you is not easily forgotten and I've tried to be intentional with my words and thank those that do this for me. A few colleagues this week have given me complements and with their words, I have skipped home. I found joy in the words they have spoken to me and I only hope I have done the same for others.

Last night I missed the Teak and so I called her. She had a great day yesterday and ran to the mall. Do you know what she bought? Booties! She said that she bought these short boots that hit at her ankle and I informed her that the girls call them booties and that she was in style. I asked her that she needs to find her a pair of skinny jeans and we could match and she and I got a real kick out of that. At 84, she is still rocking it and keeps me laughing. The Teak is one of the most purest forms of joy to me.

Every Thursday, my routine is the same and I grocery shop at Kroger. With coupons and list in hand, I go up and down every aisle and get what we need for the next week. I show my love through cooking and hence grocery shopping is essential for this, but a necessary evil of all of this is menu planning.  As much as I hate menu planning, the thought that we have food on our table (more than we really need) is a blessing.

I hope this feeling of joy continues and that I'm mindful of the small, every day things that turn out to be the really big things in life. I hope you have found joy within your week and have sparked joy in others.