Seeking out the joy to be found in the simplest of things
I am jumping into a refreshed version of myself after a hellish year
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We each get our inspiration from our own (sometimes) fleeting moments. Tonight, I listened to a brilliant live concert by world-class musician friends. And the beauty of it? I didn’t even have to be there. I enjoyed every second, livestreamed straight to my breezy back porch.
When it comes to most things, even the difficult ones, I do believe we can find joy.
As I shut my laptop on my extraordinarily talented singer-songwriter friend and her globally renowned jazz pianist husband, I still felt every note, every intentionally hurried high, every slow low. I thought about how many of the stunning pieces they composed were a touch of genius born of a great loss or a longing for the comfort we felt growing up in simpler times. Yet, the beauty of hope was magically front and center.
Finding what is possible
I went inside and made a beeline for the chocolate, the good stuff I dabble in only when I’m feeling really happy or really needy, and when I have time to savor every morsel.
Earlier in the week, I was texting with a friend who had been unexpectedly hospitalized for an emergency surgery. It was a jolting reminder of how fragile we all are, even the “healthiest” among us. I turned off the notifications on my phone and took myself out for the most glorious ice cream I could find.
As I gratefully walked around the stunning coastal neighborhood that is new ground for me this summer, I stopped to smell the roses, literally, and paused to take in the sailboats rising and falling in the subtle waves of the harbor. I petted the passing dogs, and then sat on a public bench and smiled at the sounds of young children giggling.
I am jumping into a refreshed version of myself after a hellish year. Everything in my world changed in the blink of an eye after I chose to leave my home, friends, and the community I had been part of for the past 20 years. I left people I love and even walked away from my sweet 3-year-old pup, who I knew was more urgently needed by those I left behind.
Life is not perfect. Love is not always enough. But there is always joy to be found, sometimes in the simplest of things.
So, while I often write about hope and the beautiful things in our lives, and as I deal with a list of my own “invisibles,” I am never beyond empathy for those of others.
You may be living with myelofibrosis, moving through its stressful uncertainties, or you may be watching a loved one experience its high highs and low lows. But as someone who was diagnosed with a rare myeloproliferative neoplasm at age 38 while raising two young boys, and who, 30 years later, is called a poster child for myelofibrosis clinical trials, I can honestly say that it is possible for peace, joy, and that quick ping of gratitude that keeps you steady to be right around the proverbial corner.
Take time to look. Take time to embrace it. Give yourself the grace of a daily ahhh moment. And let me know how it goes. Because I’ll be right here.
Note: Myelofibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myelofibrosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myelofibrosis.
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