Joy

Emily Apuzzo Hopkins | November 15, 2020

I am currently sitting at my dining room table with piles of clean laundry surrounding me and a small child laying on the floor by my feet. I am wearing an adult onesie and have zero plans to wear anything different today as I enjoy this lazy Sunday afternoon. The lights on my Christmas tree are on as are the lights of the staircase banister despite it only being mid-November. It is also highly likely that I will be asking Alexa to “have a dance party” before the day is out.

Why?

Because it makes me happy. 

In the days of yore (primarily pre-2020 and pre-Covid), the words gratitude and joy did not quite carry the intense meaning they weigh upon me now. There are so many things to be frustrated with this year. There are so many things to be downright angry or sad about right now. But while I can and while I have reasons to celebrate, I choose joy. I choose to do the things that make me immensely happy while I can because deep down, I do fear not having the ability to make that choice in the future. So while I can, I shall choose it.

Pre-jammy afternoon, I spent a productive morning writing, reading, and planning for the day - for my future. I laced up my shoes and even hit the trails to playfully run 4 miles through the trees with the wind in my face.

Joy, joy, joy.

I came home and showered so that I could welcome this fleece onesie’s embrace around me. I made pancakes and bacon for lunch because it made me happy - and everyone else in my household joined me in this joy chorus as they, too, snuggled into their onesies gripping forkfuls of syruped fluff. 

Joy, joy, joy.

I chose this and will continue to choose all of this as often as I am given that option because joyful is a lovely way to be.