Sharing Joy

Something I miss most about my mother’s passing four years ago this month is that I can’t just call her or go visit to share good things in my life. For several years, I looked forward daily to chatting with her about routine happenings as well as special moments.

I continually find, as W. Clement Stone suggested: “If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.” I am grateful that I have family and friends with whom I can share my joys, as well as sadness, and am recognizing how important sharing has become in my life.

Joy: First flower of spring on April 1, 2023 (photo by Jim Swaney)

I have not always been good at sharing. I consider myself a private person.  I need time to feel comfortable around others. I have worked hard to be a better conversationalist and have found that getting others to talk about themselves gets me off the hook. I also value humility in myself. Nevertheless, I am learning that communicating joy results in its doubling. Sharing is caring regardless of the content.

Volunteering at Rocky Mountain National Park reflects the impact of sharing. I love to hear people exclaim how beautiful our park is. Their sharing reminds me about my joy in living here, although I usually do not need to have my consciousness jogged. I love people who come into the Visitor Center with their phones out eager to show a photo of what they just saw in the park-a coyote, a moose, a flower, a bird. I appreciate another quote I saw, “Life is not about making others happy. Life is about sharing your happiness with others.”

When something good happens to me, I am eager to share with special others. I do not do so in a bragged manner, but as a way to connect. I eagerly accept it when others impart significant moments of pride and joy with me. Just yesterday a friend shared a video of the spring lambs on her farm who were running and jumping (with joy) in the warm sunshine.

These ideas may seem a bit “cheesy.” Yet, as I acknowledge the four years since my mother passed, I remember how much I miss communicating about joy—hearing her updates on family affairs as well as my giving her a rundown of the good (and bad) things that constitute my day. I am grateful for others who “get” me and am grateful that I have had significant opportunities for joy AND sharing over the years.