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

When I phone my daughter (she has caller ID and knows it's me) and one of the grandchildren answers by saying "Hello Nanny, how are you today"? I feel like my heart will burst

My garden, even when it looks dreadful in winter and I think it will never look good again. I'm so grateful I have it.

All our married life we have lived not far from a local school and we always knew when it was playtime by the noise of fun and laughter of the children in the playground.Now live on walk route to a different school and I smile watching them chat,laden down with rucksacks sportswear musical instruments.I so love the joys of childhood.

I have MS and the things that bring me absolute joy and sheer fulfilment are the fact i have done A B & C ..
I have managed to do it yeahhhhhhh. Whatever the A B & C are. Ok it might take longer, ok i might do it in a different way but WHAT THE HECK...I'VE DONE IT.

Now that fills me with euphoria and satisfaction and achievement.

No matter how small, no matter how how trivial, IVE DONE IT. ( Determination plays a huge part )

💐

Grandmabatty

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.

Same here!

The sunrise from my bedroom window; every sunrise is a gift.
Getting a bear hug from my huge grandson.
The moorland view from our local park that feels as if you can walk right into it;
Beech trees in new leaf, with the sun on them;
Just, generally, still being able to put one foot in front of the other every day, and finding new things to do.

The morning sky. I have moved to a place recently and the skies are absolutely glorious. I don’t know how to explain it but I have never seen so much sky and so much beauty.

My work colleague helpfully suggested I was in a RL Truman show

My garden, I buy fresh flowers each week instead of chocolate and they lift me, birdsong, being with friends, a text from my grandchildren, a hug from my son, after a busy day settling down to my soaps of an evening, bedtime and a read for an hour. All quite small things I suppose to others, The best thing for me right now is being mobile after two years of problems and I can’t bear the thought of losing it again, waking up.

Yes, I take pleasure in the smallest of things, and find life so sweet.

I recently read that it is called “the urgency of old age - there is nothing that makes you feel more alive, than the certainty of death”.

That sums it up for me.

Now, at my age of 76, coming back from a cycle ride having successfully cycled up a daunting hill. Once up, the rest is relatively easy and beautiful, thatched cottages,mill stream, fields

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

LauraNorderr

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.