Collecting Moments of Joy

Hi. Welcome to Bloom Anywhere. I'm Gwen Moran, a writer, editor, author, and problem-solver. My goal is to share information, ideas, and resources to help you overcome obstacles, reach your goals, and get more joy out of life, even when things are messy. Thanks for joining me. (If you got this from a friend, subscribe here: Bloom Anywhere.) I'd love your feedback and suggestions for future topics. Please send me an email: connect@bloomanywhere.com.

My world has been experiencing a season of sadness and loss, with two people dear to my family dying from cancer over the past couple of weeks, and others experiencing health issues. When we go through such tough times, it can be hard to maintain our typical pace. At the same time, the people who rely on us have only so much patience for grief, especially if the issue is personal or the death is not immediate family. (Why are we like this? It is a conversation for another day.) I’ve been pacing myself a bit to keep up with the most pressing matters, even as sadness creeps over me occasionally.

In the midst of the bad news, I came across a meme that stopped me in my tracks. It said, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things? One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”

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Collecting Bits of Joy

It was a silly, simple thing, but it stopped me in my tracks. I couldn’t solve the losses or the pain, but I could focus on a series of small, good things—things that bring joy to me and the people I love. So, I started going in search of them and collecting them, like pretty shells and sea glass found on a beach.

• I live near the ocean, so I started making time to go to the boardwalk, watch the water, and listen to the waves crash, even just for a few minutes.
• Instead of getting sucked into my phone first thing in the morning, I savored my coffee on the deck and stared into the woods in my backyard, watching the animals, and using my Merlin app to identify birds.
• I quickly organized a dinner for my extended family to share a meal during a rare time when we were all together.
• I spent time on the phone with one of my best friends who always makes me laugh.
• On calls, I paused to truly appreciate the people working so hard to contribute their talents and make our projects successful.
• I stopped and smelled the roses—and the lilies and the deep, earthy scent of the woods.

They were all small things, to be sure. But, cumulatively, the effect was restorative. When I was present and let my mind be occupied with the beauty of the moment, the weight of sadness and worry eased, if even for a few minutes.

Think about all of the moments of joy and beauty we let slip by because we are focused on worries. Of course, we need to feel and work through grief. At the same time, we can give ourselves moments of respite by collecting moments of joy—letting our pile of good things grow.

What can you add to your pile of good things? What are the moments you can create or stop and savor? I’ll bet you have more than you think.

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Bloom Drops

Things I want to share with you.

Reading: I recently finished The Women by Kristin Hannah. I was chastened by how little I knew about the Vietnam War and the experience of veterans who returned, especially women. This was not an easy book, but I found it worthwhile and plan to read the books Hannah recommends as additional resources, including A Piece of My Heart: The Stories of 26 American Women Who Served in Vietnam by Keith Walker.

Finding animals: The internet may be the home of the most vile forms of hate, but it’s also a place where you can find adorable animals. There is an entire subreddit devoted to hedgehogs, for example. National Geographic has a collection of photographs of baby animals. And Cutest on Instagram serves up a collection of the most adorable pets. They might add to your collection of good things.