Tuesday, December 10, 2013

I See Joy Dancing

by Kim


. . . in my coffee cup.

I kind of wish that I had taken this photo with a festive Christmas mug. But, it was Thanksgiving week and I had yet to bring down my holiday mugs off the top shelf. And to be honest, I wasn't thinking about this photo for a blog post. I was simply reacting to a moment. A simple moment of joy watching steam dance from my cup. And yes, I  am that easily entertained! After all, I've seen circus acts and ballet performances in that steam.

Today, I thought I would share a few of my recent moments of joy.

One day a couple of weeks ago I was able to get back to a favorite trail after it was closed all summer. There is still quite a bit of construction and part of it is still closed off, but as the season has changed since I was last there, I was finding joy in the fallen leaves and the smell of pine needles on a humid morning.


It's no secret that I have a love affair with all things nature. This was an incredibly joyful moment for me as I raised this Tersa Sphinx Moth from a caterpillar and after waiting for weeks and weeks it finally emerged from it's cocoon. After it's wings had plenty of time to dry I took it outside, and after several minutes of warming it's flight muscles it successfully took off into the wild blue yonder. These moths are very strong and fast flyers, with 50 wings beats per second. They can sometimes be mistaken for hummingbirds as they can hover while drinking nectar like that of a hummer. This particular one is nocturnal and right about dusk comes out to feed on my purple trailing lantana. Their host plant is pentas and boy do they have a hearty appetite.


And there is still all kinds of joy blooming in my garden in the form of roses . . .even with the couple of frosts we have had.



Joy is one of those things we think escapes us when we don't have it. Because often we think it's something we can seek. That if we look behind the right door it will just be there waiting. But something I have learned is that we hold our happiness hostage when we use the words if, only, or when. And for me I don't want to miss the happiness that happens along the journey because it's surely not guaranteed to be waiting at a destination.

I've learned the hard way that happiness is accepting where I am and when I observe what is in front of me, I can see joy dancing.

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, won or consumed.
Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love,
grace and gratitude."  - Denis Waitley

What about you, what have you learned about finding joy? We love when you share your thoughts here in the comments or on our Facebook page. And don't forget to share your photos of what brings you joy in our flickr group.




14 comments:

terriporter said...

Well, I can tell you one thing. Your photos are definitely bringing me joy this morning! And one thing you always convey in your photos is the joy you felt while shooting them. You are so right, we can't sit and wait for joy to come to us, we have to actively seek it. I'm sure this post is going to bring a lot of people joy today!

Carol said...

You are such a beautiful writer, Kim! I love this post about joy, and I am so jealous of that first picture that I almost lost my joy for a sec. there! (just kidding!) But I have been trying unsuccessfully to catch steam like that forever - great job! And the cup is beautiful!

Linda said...

Very well said Kim! This post is a good way to start my day! Beautiful pictures as always!

CarolHart said...

Very well written Kim, and your images are pure magic. Many thanks also for sharing the Waitley quote. You've give me much to ponder on this fine day.

Sarah Huizenga said...

Getting to know you a little better now, I can see that your joy comes from an inner joy, something that is not deflated by bad moments. But is pumped up to full when visual joy is captured through your lens.

Dotti said...

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! I love all the photos but the cup and steam photo makes me drool. I find it so hard to capture steam. ** sighing ** But more to the point, there is so much truth in what you say, so much to ponder. I've been thinking about it all day {read the post on my iPad while on the treadmill but couldn't comment} as I ran my errands, smiling {are you listening Carol A?} much of the time. Hooray for JOY! I love it.

Katie said...

well, first of all i can't believe you still have roses blooming---THAT would bring me joy for sure! joy is a sneaky little thing: you have to always be aware of it and to revel in it and to roll around in it to fully feel joy, i think. and it's so sad that some people just never find it in their lives to do just that. joy is a wonderful thing. and this made me happy today. : )

Viv@Thoughts from the Desktop said...

Wonderful heartfelt words Kim glorious photo of your pretty cup.... we can find joy in the little things that lighten our day and hearts..

kelly said...

what a blessing it is to find joy in the everyday. i will just echo everyone else...your joy does seem to come from within. and today it blesses all of us. beautiful.

leigh said...

Your post has left me feeling joyful! I have so enjoyed following along with your Sphinx Moths and Monarchs. Just amazing!

susan said...

beautiful images! love that you 'see' so many things in the dancing steam above the cup. so love that!

Cathy H. said...

Beautiful images and such true words to think about!

Sherri B. said...

You have such a beautiful way with words, Kim...and then there are your photos! What a winning combination...that moth image is so incredibly gorgeous! Thank you for the wise and inspiring post.

Unknown said...

This post gives me joy indeed. Such wonderful photos and words my friend..

Hugs~

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. If for any reason you are unable to leave a comment here on this post, please leave your comment on our Facebook page or in our Flickr discussion group. We love hearing from you!

 
© Focusing On Life