Amidst the constant chaos of family, work, social media, friends, international news, strangers, and everything in between, I feel it important to express how much I love life.
There won’t be any rants to explain and/or justify the infinite reasons why – I just do.
I adore (my) life.
Simply, joy.
“Home is where the heart is.”
“There’s no place like home.“
“Home sweet home.”
While we are surrounded by an abundance of messages pertaining to the importance of ‘home’, the average person spends the majority of their life AWAY from the household due to education, social lives, careers, and travel.
One of the most common societal goals is to one day acquire your very own home; yet once we accomplish this significant accomplishment, why then do we spend so much time making plans to escape it?
We were fortunate enough to buy our house almost 4 years ago. Like all substantial investments, it requires tender loving care and attention to detail. My husband delves deep into the structural care – to ensure its strength, safety, and durability – whereas my care flourishes inwardly, to all the spaces between the walls. Together, we have established a beautiful home permeated with love, warmth, security, and joy.
There are nights we go out to dinner, concerts, social gatherings. There are weekends we spend away at the cottage, visiting friends and family, traveling. Yet no matter where we go, or how long we are away, our house remains our sanctuary.
I thrive on my time spent in our home – dancing in the kitchen while I concoct meals, reading in the living room with the fireplace on, suntanning on our expansive back deck, doing laundry in our newly renovated basement, inviting friends over for a BBQ or Games Night, taking a nap in our bed on a languid Saturday afternoon, shoveling out our long driveway, playing with the dog in our backyard, colouring at the dining room table, exercising in the spare bedroom, pampering myself with a long hot shower, cozying up with my husband (& dog) watching a movie…
Though I know the world outside has much to offer, I am so grateful for days when I can just stay inside and bask in the comforts of the Home we have created.
Simply, joy.
At work we have a whiteboard beside the main door which was originally used for announcing staff birthdays. (*note: I do maintain this tradition, for the record)
As I am one of the first people in in the morning, it irked me to see a cold, empty, sterile whiteboard every morning when I arrived. So back in November, I decided that colleagues should be greeted with a joke or inspirational and/or motivational quote.
Each morning I write a little message on this board to make others smile.
The feedback has been very positive and our work environment has benefited from the wee dose of daily joy.
Yesterday, my colleagues wrote back:
Simply, joy.
Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is a Danish term roughly translated as coziness.
Danish winters are long and dark (sound familiar fellow Canadians?), thus the necessity for hygge – essentially creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the simple joys in life with good people.
Hygge is more than a cozy room full of candles, company, and good food.
Hygge is a philosophy; a way of life that has helped Danes understand the importance of simplicity, time to unwind, and slowing down the pace of life.
Create space and time to do nothing but enjoy the simple joys with family and friends.
Simply, joy.
December hit fast’n furious this year.
Last week (mid-December) a colleague and I were noting the lack of holiday cheer throughout our office and, well, our entire floor. She suggested coming in when no one was around and decorating the whole floor as a surprise.
On Friday morning, our department was treated to a beautiful breakfast celebration put on by the Social Committee. It was lovely! We were greeted by staff dressed as elves, received with genuine smiles, served candy canes, and brought together in a simple, yet festive, decorated hall.
After eating, I decided to pull out a few boxes of decorations from our storage closet. I was amazed at how much there was!
As I began to modestly decorate office doors, bosses & colleagues trickled back from breakfast – their faces lit up as they saw the holiday decorations.
It wasn’t long before each and every co-worker participated in some way to help make the floor more festive. Some helped hang ornaments from the ceiling, others set up & decorated the tree, while some preferred to simply don elf and Santa hats whilst working at their desks.
It was most fulfilling and inspiring to witness the ignition of festive cheer spread and lift the spirits of my colleagues.
It doesn’t matter how old we are – it’s essential that we never stop spreading joy, nor cultivating the spirit within each of us to flourish and thrive.
Simply, joy.
While 2016 has already astounded me with many joys that I have yet to write about, I want to share an incredible website (which I follow on Facebook) entitled Love What Matters.
Based out of New York, NY, this website celebrates and reports inspiring personal stories of love, hope, and what matters most.
Simply, joy.
It’s that time of year. The leaves have transformed to withered brown blobs on the ground, the trees are bare, the sky emits a steady gray hue, and the rain falls (seemingly) daily.
Rather than giving in to the dreary darkness that urges me to constantly nap, I’ve planned (and executed!) various activities to keep my brain and body stimulated. There’s always time for naps once the snow flies!
Here’s how I transform November:
Changing the station. Many people habitually listen to the same website or radio station daily. Let’s be honest – it becomes monotonous. Switch it up! If you’re a fan of streaming music online check out Deezer, Songza, Jango, or Live365. Transport yourself to another country, or sample a new-to-you genre of music. For those who tune in while driving, I urge you to change the dial from CBC to something different, if only for a day/week. CKCU Community Radio (93.1FM) is an excellent alternative with a wide array of programming and music.
Starting/finishing a project. Lately I’ve been working on family photographs; gathering, organizing, and putting them into clearly labelled albums. I’ve also taken the time to update my CD and LP database by removing those that I no longer want and adding newly acquired purchases. Projects are so fulfilling – especially once they are completed.
Getting together with friends. During the fall and winter months, our diverse groups of friends blend and mingle at Games Night. The whole idea is about getting everyone out during this blah season, staying socially connected to one another, and having fun playing board games. Each month it is held at a different home. It’s never the same group twice, and always a blast!Simply, joy.
Simply, Joy 