A Short List of Things that Bring Joy

God is good.  Everything he has made and inspired is good.  I decided to jot down a list of things that give me a bit of joy and share it.  I asked a few friends and family members to contribute for plausible deniability.  If anything here seems super out there, maybe that wasn’t one of my ideas.

- A song that makes you want to sing.

- A song that makes you want to dance.

- A soaring bird.  A bird flapping his wings looks like he’s working, one that’s just floating on the breeze looks like he’s having fun.

- The irony of my son playing The Final Countdown on repeat.

- A cute kitty purring on your lap.

- A perfectly sharpened pencil.

- The moon, especially when it’s full, when it’s a tipped to resemble a smile in the sky, when something in the air gives it an unusual tint, or when whisps of clouds float across it, or when it’s out during the day, seems extra big or bright, or… the moon.

- A pretty picture of anything.

- Symmetrical patterns, like a kaleidoscope.

- A hot sunny day, and the way the sweat drips off your body as it does the hard work God created it to be able to do.  Even when it’s not quite as nimble as it used to be.

- A rainy day, especially when the water pours down in buckets and forms tiny rushing rivers on the ground.

- Stained glass windows when it’s dark outside, like a mystery that’s almost visible.

- The taste of the Eucharist after you’ve swallowed it and the knowledge that God is still there.

- A hug from a loved one.

- An ugly insect clinging desperately to the windshield of a moving vehicle.  Also the moment it finally loses.

- A smiling or laughing baby.  The sound of anyone laughing.

- When the entire family suddenly sings along with the silly radio jingle.

- Unexpected sparkles, like in the asphalt on a road or dew glistening in the sun.

- Pretty flowers that don’t stink.

- Making a list of things that bring me joy.