Sweet Dreams

My friend Holly wrote the following as part of a facebook status update, "I am grateful that I can end my day on a comfortable bed. Isn't sleep a blessing?" I totally agree. And a good night's sleep is a real joy.

Many of you may know we have a new addition to our family, a 2 year old flat coated retriever named Sadie. She is a wonderful addition to our family and is the sweetest, most well-behaved animal companion Paul and I have ever known. Her only issue is she's terribly afraid of the dark. Due to my allergies, we can't allow her to sleep in our bed. It's been quite a challenge to get her to sleep on her own bed.

She and I have created a bedtime ritual (which is fairly complex and I won't get into it here). I also purchased a doggie/child safety gate that keeps her out of our bedroom but still allows her to see that Paul and I are there and haven't abandoned her.

All this to say, last night Paul and I were able to get our first decent night's sleep in quite some time. It was wonderful. To wake with energy, feeling rested and ready for the day is a true joy...and Sadie seemed to feel the same. This morning she was jumping and racing around the house, happy as a lark.

So now, for another night of joyous sleep (fingers crossed). Hoping the same for you.

What brought you joy today? (Isn't it nice to fall asleep thinking of the joys in your life?)

Not Keeping Up With The Jones'

Recently I've realized that I care way to much what others think. I'm constantly justifying my decisions and actions via mental self-talk. Who am I trying to convince? I already made the decision, and often have already taken the action. I don't need to convince myself.

Often my mind rambles about why I choose to live a more simple life and it really comes down to joy. I've been thinking quite a bit about simplicity lately and came across a great blog, Zen Habits: The Simple Joys of Smaller Living. I really enjoy reading the posts as it keeps me focused on what's really important in my life...and on what brings me joy.

One of this week's suggestions was to journal about what brings joy to your life or to keep something called a Joy List where you jot down these small joys as they happen in your life.

The mere act of jotting down the experience isn't so profound. It's the fact that by writing about these moments (as Zen Habits says), we give ourselves "the time to savor them when they occur or process and reflect on them afterward."

So, what simple joys have I experienced during the past few days?

Yesterday as my husband and I were driving to visit a friend who is terminally ill and in the hospital, my husband reached across the truck seat to take my hand...just to hold it gently as we drove along and chatted. I'm not sure what prompted him to do this. We hold hands often, but this was different. Perhaps it was the realization that we all only have the present moment. Perhaps it was the realization that our love brings us both great joy. The motivation really isn't important... but the memory of that act is. This simple act of holding hands didn't cost anything, didn't take much energy, and didn't take planning yet it was one of the most meaningful "gifts" my husband could have given me.

I'm glad I took the time to reflect upon it. I'm happy that it is the first item on my Joy List. I look forward to adding to it.

What brought you joy today?