A "Get To" Life

A friend recently shared with me her "secret" to joy in the now (crazy moments). She loved growing up near the beach and yet she said she was able to move into the next phase of her life (which wasn't seaside!) without regret- because while she lived in New Smyrna beach she valued it and enjoyed it and supposed it wouldn't last forever.

Isn't that the secret? To enjoy and savor and embrace the NOW because it absolutely won't last forever. I have an "I get to" live. I get to listen to these boisterous children and perseverate in instructing them. I get to fold these shirts and wash these dishes and sit at a soccer game. I wouldn't want to give these joys away! All too soon this season will be over and I want to fully embrace the next one, too. . . living each moment from JOY to JOY.

And I found it true, today, that when I took my camera and looked for things I could take photos of that brought me JOY today, there were so many!

Here are just a few:
551) Lilacs in bloom (I can list this again, right? Especially since I found white ones today.)
552) Bean sprouts jumping to the sun.
553) Girl asleep on the step.
554) Baby with tears, smiling up to me.
555) Boy who is so happy to make eggs for me. ("Are you hungry? Would you like an egg?" he asks me at 4:30 pm)
556) Falling by Caleb Rowden
557) Easter art
558) Plastic Easter eggs all over the house
559) Mancala spread on the table
560) Leaning piles of books all over the living room
561) Smile on the boy who just won his first soccer game of the season
562) Sweat during a great p90X workout! (Yay for Kenpo)
563) Birthday packages crowding the mantle
584) Bleeding hearts in the neighbor's yard
585) His broken, bleeding body . . . indescribable grace