joyfulness

Are you joyful? Do you bring joy to others? Those are two questions asked by Morgan Freeman to Jack Nicholson in The Bucket List. My husband and I went to see this movie yesterday and loved it. Yes, perhaps they didn't convey real cancer and yes, perhaps they traveled around the world after chemo when in most likelihood they would have been too weak to do anything. But all that aside, this was great entertainment and we laughed throughout most of the movie. And the two questions: Are you joyful and do you bring joy to others, are definitely something to think about. Yes, I have a list of things to do before I die. It's not a serious list but after seeing this movie, it might become more real. What good is living life if you're not living life to its fullest? You don't need to travel around the world to feel satisfied with life. Often it's the little things that bring you the most joy. Like the dragonfly in your yard, eating mosquito larvae or the Blue Heron standing at the edge of the water.

I'd like to think I'm a joyful person. I try to find the good in most things, the positive, the silver lining because this is how I find joy in even the worst of times. Since I'm a simple person, I tend to find more joy in the little things. Sadly, it doesn't take much to humor me as my husband will agree with! Do I laugh a lot? No. Never have, probably never will.

What makes a person joyful? Being around family? Friends? Life's experiences? If you have joy in your life, are you also reasonably content with life? Being around my family and friends brings joy to my life yet I feel that I've not even begun to touch the tip of the iceberg on experiencing all that life has to offer and for that I'm discontent.

This is me rambling! I tend to do that a lot when I write.... It's how I come to my own conclusions about things; talking things out; sorting through details. It's probably me, not being at my most joyful state of mind! It's me thinking....

Do I bring joy to others? I guess you'd have to ask my family and friends that.... I try to be kind, considerate, and compassionate towards others. I try to be a good friend, a good mother, a good wife, a good sister. But I'm not certain what this means, bring joy to others.... Do I make them laugh? I suspect they laugh behind my back more than to my face! Do I affect lives in a positive way? If you have a bad cold, I'll bring you homemade chicken leek soup.... Do I bring joy to others.... I'm not certain.

Here's some items on my Bucket List:

1. Take a cruise through the Panama Canal.
2. Visit Disneyland with my husband.
3. Visit Maine and gorge myself on lobster!
4. Take Amtrak across the U.S.
5. Go antiquing across the country.
6. Learn French cooking.
7. Visit Vermont in the Fall.
8. Spend the night in a light house.
9. Live a joyful life.

and, lastly, number 10: Bring joy to others.