Unexpected Joys

The title of this week’s post was suggested by my husband. With my brain whirring around like the spin cycle of a washing machine, I was happy for any help he could give.

In general, my life is lived according to the laws of Murphy : whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. As proof, last week BA cancelled our flights to America and the venue for my son’s rehearsal dinner had a fire. (The restaurant was called, wonderfully ironically, Blaze!) One has to find humour where one can.

Our plans up-ended, we had to scramble for new flights and a new itinerary. All is well – for now, at least.

Because, although life flings its arrows at us in the most random ways, it also brings joy and beauty at unexpected moments. The trick is to remember that delight is always possible even in the darkest times. We just need to be open to it.

The road less travelled by

My husband and I are inveterate brown sign spotters. Ambling along the road, we invariably veer off if there seems to be a place of any interest on the way. More often that not, these spontaneous diversions take us to the most interesting spots. Often too, the detour takes us to less known destinations and thus we get to enjoy them all to ourselves. The sense of discovery, of a ruined castle or old bell tower, only adds to the joy. A planned route has much to recommend it, but flexibility here, as elsewhere in life may serve us well also.

Naturally delightful

There is very little in nature that is predictable – ask any farmer. She may pelt us with rain and ruffle us with wind for days on end, but even on her most seemingly spiteful days, there is the possibility of an unexpected pleasure. (This might only be that the rain stops long enough for us to get outside.)

Yesterday morning, needing a little rest, I escaped for twenty minutes to my hammock to recover. Hermione was with the dog walker, so I was relieved of ball throwing duties.

At first, I simply enjoyed the quiet and a chance to rest my legs. Then I began to take note of my surroundings. The magpies were chattering noisily again and other little unseen birds were calling to each other. A few butterflies flitted across to the vegetable patch and dozens of little wasps dipped into the flower heads of the rocket.

The air, which had seemed empty, filled the longer that I looked at it with tiny insects whirling in the sunshine.

It was delightfully warm and the trees gave me shade and a colourful palette of leaves. Those few minutes stretched out and became strangely timeless. Totally refreshed, I set about my busy schedule feeling blessed by nature.

We routinely find joy in the outside world – especially the coast. The sea is anything but predicable, so it is an unexpected joy to find a day warm enough and the sea calm enough to swim – as we did on Wednesday.

My husband is rather more hard core and goes out in all weathers to paddle board and surf. Occasionally, the seal that lives in the local marina, comes out to join him and he once spotted a walrus – yes, really. He posted his discovery online, only to be endlessly ridiculed with comments like, ‘Did you see the egg man too?’ He was vindicated weeks later when the site administrator wrote to him saying a walrus had indeed wandered into our waters, but they didn’t want people bothering him.

Sources of joy

We have all enjoyed the delight of surprise when we receive an act of kindness: a cutting from a favourite plant, cake or gifts, but joy can be found in less common ways too.

One of my greatest pleasures is receiving cards and letters in the post. They have that wonderful element of randomness to make them extra special. I’ve upcycled an old toast rack to store my correspondence, which reminds me that I owe Jenny a letter.

If a letter seems too daunting a task, a note or a postcard gives an almost equal thrill with a great deal less effort.

A well turned phrase

Books have always been more than a form of entertainment for me. They are rather black holes that suck me into different times and worlds; allowing me to live life along the principles of string theory where I can be both here and there simultaneously.

I have read several excellent books recently – both fiction and non-fiction. Along with good plots and well conceived characters, the joy of reading includes the pleasure in discovering the well-turned phrase. Placing ‘the best words in the best order’ as Coleridge defined poetry, is much harder than one would think. Finding these little scraps of genius within a text always makes me smile.

There are so many places and ways that we can find unexpected joys that I cannot hope to cover them here. Keeping onself open to their possibility is sometimes hard, but always worthwhile.

I hope this week brings you much joy where you had expected none and perhaps you can share those moments with us in the comments.