Simple Pleasures
Earlier this week I shared Parker J. Palmer’s quote, “I am lost in the sadness and madness of the world.” And no wonder – with news stories of the rapid spread of COVID; headlines of beheadings and terror attacks; and only a fleeting mention of a schoolyard massacre in Ethiopia, killing 54 children, women, and elderly who were unable to flee. The U.S. election and ranting of a mad man only added fuel to the fire.
Many of us are walking around with heavy hearts these days; we have plenty of reasons to feel sad and mad. Self-care has not been easy this week! And so I set an intention on Monday to pay attention to life’s simple pleasures. Surprisingly, there were many pleasures during this week of turmoil, but I wouldn’t necessarily define them all as simple pleasures.
Simple Pleasures
For me, simple pleasures include the morning coffee that my husband brings me every morning at 7 am, when he wakes me up with a kiss. We then snuggle in to read the news together and chat about the day awaiting us. And then there are books! I have expanded my book-buying budget this pandemic year and so you can imagine my delight when I woke up this morning to find out that Indigo, our big-box bookstore, has a 20% off sale on today! Combined with rewards membership, that means I get 30% off on books and free delivery! Are you interested in knowing what I have in my shopping cart? So far, the cart includes Barbara Kingsolver’s latest, a book of poetry, How to Fly (in Ten Thousand Easy Steps) – I love her books and essays, so I imagine I will feel the same about her poetry. I have gained a new appreciation for birds this last year in lockdown, enjoying many new species who have visited our yard, and so I have added The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent and Think by Jennifer Ackerman. And, my cart includes Adventures in Opting Out by local writer, Cait Flanders, who offers a trail map to the path less traveled. I’m thinking I may join her free book club that starts next week so I can walk that path with others.
Guilty Pleasures
We all have them, those guilty pleasures that we don’t always feel comfortable sharing – and yes, mine include chocolate, wine, and too much time playing Addiction Solitaire on the computer. But what I really take great delight in is browsing real estate listings. Last week, I checked out every listing between Cobble Hill to Campbell River, on Vancouver Island! I also love looking at real estate listings that pop up on my Facebook page from International Living – I dream of buying a place on the coast of Portugal or Spain for $200,000!
Unexpected Pleasures
This one has taken me by surprise! I have been facilitating sold-out life story writing workshops since September. These workshops are based on techniques that continue to guide my own reflective practice. I facilitated two gatherings this week, the final workshop in a Pandemic Ponderings series, and one exploring life stories based on the theme, A Sense of Belonging. When I began offering these workshops, I had no idea the rewards I would reap from listening to women share their stories. The stories are moving, profound, and they echo stories from my own life. The stories speak of the beauty and pain of our shared experiences as women. When I began this project, I was hoping this would be a powerful catalyst for women to learn about themselves - I never imagined their stories would also give me such pleasure.
Nature’s Pleasures
Nature has always been one of my greatest pleasures. This week has been sunny, cold, and windy. Numerous times this week I have stood by the river, watching the wind crash waves along the shore, and bracing myself as the wind blew away my anxieties.
Complex Pleasure
Pleasure can also be complex. I have had a difficult relationship with my mother most of my life. One day I may write about it here, but I am not yet ready. Some of you will know from a recent blog post, that recently my mother moved into an independent seniors complex near us. She has settled in and loves it there. It is the first time, in a long time, that she is happy. Earlier this week was one of the first visits I had with my mother where neither of us got exasperated or upset with each other. I headed home feeling happy and at peace. She is 85 years old, I am 62 years old - it’s been a long time coming.
Profound pleasure
A message from my daughter early yesterday morning - news desks were reporting that Joe Biden had won. A reporter on CNN news cried as he shared the news, saying, “it’s easier to be a parent this morning, it’s easier to be a dad. It’s easier to tell your kids character matters, it matters.” Tears of joy replaced my many tears of worry during a week of relentless bad news. And then my husband said, you realize, this means Kamala Harris will be the vice-president. A female vice-president, a female black vice-president, a female South Asian vice-president, a daughter of immigrants – and I began sobbing.
I am sitting here on this late Sunday morning watching the hummingbirds at our backyard feeder. I feel calm and happy, and I am reminded that even when I am lost in the sadness and madness of our world, there are still so many moments and connections that bring me pleasure.