What are the moments which give you joy? How do they change what life feels like to you?

Waking up, warm and comfortable, after a reasonable night's sleep in my own bed. The smile on dgs1's face when he sees me. When he takes my hand and says, "grandma, let's play." When I have family for a meal and they are enjoying food and laughing and talking. Blue skies and warm sunshine. Clean bedding, freshly ironed and line blown. The sudden appearance of plants I had given up for dead.

My DD sent me a photo of my 2 year old grandson with a little lamb. Pure joy. Chats with friends, seeing my family and hearing their news, sunshine the sound of rain on my window when I'm tucked up in bed, favourite song on the radio. So many things to make me smile.

Not quite joy but.... we had a leak in the kitchen and the floor had to come up. There is a dehumidifier in there full time at the moment, it sounds like the extractor fan going at full blast and then some. I have just turned it off for some peace while I cook, bliss!

Thank you Applegran for this ❤. You are right -blue skies, birdsong, lift the spirit.

Hearing children laughing especially my gc ,looking at blue /pink skies ,listening to waves lapping on the shore.

Just being in the company of my sons or GC does it for me every time. Total joy. Also Mother Nature contributes considerably when I'm out on my regular riverside walk.

Thank you! Its lovely to read what gives other people these moments of joy!

For me it is everything I love the birds sitting waiting for the door to open. The squirrels taking nuts from my hand nature waking up from winter.
My family I just want them to be happy and healthy they mean everything to me. Our grand children all very young but full of personality. Our friends who always keep in touch these simple pleasures. They cover up the nasty realities of life that can be so upsetting.

Sitting in the back garden on a sunny day, hearing the birds sing and the breeze in the trees.
Or walking on Dartmoor which is so beautiful in it's bleakness and feeling a sense of time, history, the people who first lived on these moors and left traces of their lives behind.

Here's my favourite poem on this theme:

Two Lists by Bill Lythgoe

List one: climb up to Machu Picchu,
ride the Orient Express,
see the Terracotta Warriors,
find a monster in Loch Ness,
brave the winds of Patagonia,
hike along an Everest ridge,
visit Paul Gaugin’s Tahiti,
stand on Sydney Harbour Bridge,
stroll around Angkor Wat, Cambodia,
cross the Alps in a balloon,
gaze in awe at Easter Island,
catch a rocket to the moon.

List two: sit in the garden scribbling,
eat a wedge of Stilton Cheese,
drink a glass of Chilean Merlot,
watch the sunset through the trees,
play the bass just one more time
in the pub with my rock band,
look both ways then cross the street
holding my granddaughter’s hand,
see my grandson run towards me
smiling, waving, full of life,
meet my son and talk and listen,
phone my daughter, kiss my wife.

Yes. Two lists. There is a reason.
Once I heard a wise man say
Dream as if you’ll live forever;
Live as if you’ll die today.

Being with my family and having hugs from my G/children,watching them play and having a good old laugh with a cuppa in my hand.
Cheap and priceleess.

LilacChaser, what a lovely poem and so very true.
Putting my phone down now, off to appreciate the beauty around me, I might die today.

Taking coach day trips to see new places and marvel at our beautiful island.
Starting a new novel by a favourite author and holding it in my hand anticipating the pleasure.
Entering an ancient church, lighting a candle and feeling the peace.
Settling down in the evening by the fire with a cosy throw to watch a favourite programme.

On the other hand I’ll dream of further adventure as I walk. I might live another day.

I had a lovely moment of joy at the weekend - my four-year-old grandson went horse riding and I was amazed, but delighted, to find the pony he was riding was one of the same ones my daughter learned to ride on, 20 years ago! He's an old man now (the pony, lol) so he's just used for taking the littlest riders out for a gentle half-hour plod around the field.

LauraNorderr

Waking to hear the bird song , sit in the garden watching my crazy cat bouncing around like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh ! (he doesn't like the feel of grass on his paws so doesn't just walk or run across the lawn!)
Hearing the church bells after the long silence of Covid - in fact, someone moved into a house near to the church and complained when the bells started up again !
Just to walk out when the weather is fine and to see the trees and flowers unfurling in the sunshine.

Applegran

Thank you! Its lovely to read what gives other people these moments of joy!

What a loely theme for a thread! Thank you. Will think about this and come back to you.

Just looking out of my windows. There is a vista of the Welsh hills behind my back fence. From upstairs it is spectacular - I have raisers on my bed and tea-making kit up there so that I can sit in bed in the morning and soak it all up. And my laptop is parked on the klitchen table so I am always sitting looking at the view. The vista changes moment by moment and is a source of great joy to me.

As the dawn breaks I can hear the birds singing, open the curtains and I see a beautiful wood and the trees are now coming into leaf. The view changes all the time. Never fails to bring happiness to the start of the day.

Birds singing, plants coming through again after the winter like old friends returning, peace and quiet. Simple things.

Glad you liked my poem. it's in my book Time is a River available on amazon.
Bill Lythgoe

Joy for me is usually relational. Moments I cherish are those when a grandchild’s eyes light up when they see me, when one of my children recollects a happy childhood memory or my husband catches my eye and we share a ‘moment’.

Occasionally I reflect on bad memories from my younger years and feel joy that my life became what it is.

After a life that’s had, perhaps, more than its share of difficulties, looking at where I am now and the family I have. A good book. Seeing space and order where I’ve managed to do some de cluttering. Baking cake. Seeing unexpected plants emerge and thrive.