A Joyful Reboot
I have been reading Pam Grout’s book and this week’s task has had me thinking about the things in my life that bring me joy, and the things and situations that steal that joy. I first have to remind myself what joy has meant to me. Seems an easy enough question to ask, and yet I’m finding it hard to answer. There is the idea of ‘Grand Joy’ which are the moments in the calendar for ‘epic’ events in a year. A holiday, a birthday, a trip to the theatre or pop concert. These are not the joys of my everyday life and it is actually the everyday joys that I probably remember the most.
I was talking to a friend today about making joyful memories and I guess these are the true moments of joy that I have experienced over my lifetime. The green handbag I had at age 4, and the red one at age 6. The Snoopy stationery at age 8 and Boo Boo, my teddy bear at age 10. My sister and I with nightdresses on our heads aged 9, pretending to be princesses’ with long beautiful tresses. Sneaking into my sister’s room and playing ‘red and green’ with her age ?, mm I actually don’t know when that was! All I remember is feeling sad when she outgrew our bedroom, and seeking her company when I was lonely. My 16th birthday party, with the best chocolate cake my Mum ever made me. Oh and the Christmas when my sis and I sneaked a present from under tree, and stuffed ourselves with biscuits. Oh and the first duvets Sis and I ever owned, given to us that same Christmas.
And then in later years, the ‘perfect day’ in Studland I had with my Mum and Dad. I remember standing in front of a mirror in the hotel they were staying at, and saying to myself ‘this is the best day I have ever had with Mum and Dad’. Perfect weather, perfect company, perfect us. I said to myself ‘I want to remember this moment forever’ and I still hold that moment dear to my heart. I remember going shopping with my lovely Mum, eating bacon butties in the M&S cafe in Camberley and Hedge End. And the hot pink suit my Mum made me. So many joyful memories that I treasure.
And on an everyday level, the joys are probably more mundane. A trip to my favourite coffee house with my Simon, sitting in our ‘thrones’ which are the big chairs in the window. Seeing a cherry tree in full blossom and hearing my son giggle.
My creativity brings me immense joy and my handbags that I upcycle lift me up like I was age 4 again when I owned my bright green patent bag. My joy is stolen by the ailing body which I’m hoping can be fixed, and the clutter we have accumulated in our house.
Now my tidiness, or lack of it, has been a continuing theme throughout our marriage. I am forever dovetailing between wanting to be a ‘minimalist’ – which in truth really isn’t, and never was me – and the ‘let’s cover every flat surface with crap’ kind of girl. They say clutter creates stagnant energy, and I have a lot of that in my life! And now I am on a mission to clear the clutter, one flat surface, one draw, one centimetre of floor at a time. A lifetimes habit of untidiness being turned on its head.
Now de-cluttering is bringing back that joy, and tidier spaces do feel more satisfying. This is where I shall start my joy inventory, and I will feel into the other areas of my life that need a joyful reboot. I wonder what else I will find?