This is the "Spreading the Joy" meme. Basically, you search your own blog for an entry containing the word "joy" and repost a bit of it and link to it, so that others can read it, in its joyous entirety, and be overjoyed with joyfulness.
When I saw that Garnet had tagged me, I groaned... not only am I a non-meme-er, I wondered if I had ever used the word joy in my blog at all! I haven't exactly been, you know, gushing or whatever lately - so, thankfully, there is a list of alternate words (amusement, bliss, cheer, comfort, delectation, delight, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, exultation, exulting, felicity, gaiety, gladness, glee, good humor, gratification, happiness, hilarity, humor, jubilance, liveliness, merriment, mirth, pleasure, rapture, regalement, rejoicing, revelry, satisfaction, wonder) and realized there was no way I had used most of them, so I searched for joy, and this (and a few others) is what I found:
Special Days
"...Christmas. In all its gift wrapped jingle bell flashing joy, our joyous trips to the battered woman's shelter to enjoy the spirit of giving (with the selfish benefit of watching those little kids' eyes light up) what could possibly be more special a day!? And added to the mix this year, somewhere in there between pumpkin pie and eggnog, will be the birth of another baby. Is there really anything more special than that? First cries, first feedings, isn't there something simply gorgeous in watching a newborn baby yawn..."
This entry was for the Tarheel Tavern recently, and it found me on one of my warm-fuzzy days. It was supposed to refer to a special day and I was feeling so sweet and loveable that day that I couldn't pick just one out of the hundred times a year that you have the opportunity to make a special day out of an ordinary one.
I was listed as an 'alternate' on the tag list, so I'm not tagging 5 people like I'm supposed to. Hell, I never tag anyone anymore with memes that I choose to do, but feel free to take part in the spread the joy movement!
Here's what to do:
THE SEARCH FOR JOY
Search your blog for the word 'joy' used in the context of 'happiness'. If you cannot find the word in your weblog, you may use any of the select list of synonyms below. "joy - amusement, bliss, cheer, comfort, delectation, delight, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, exultation, exulting, felicity, gaiety, gladness, glee, good humor, gratification, happiness, hilarity, humor, jubilance, liveliness, merriment, mirth, pleasure, rapture, regalement, rejoicing, revelry, satisfaction, wonder."
If your weblog does not include a built-in search engine, then you can use Google to search it only for the word you wish to find. If you've found the word and it was not used facetiously or sarcastically, good for you. All you need to do is link to your earlier entry, and write a few words about that joyous moment. If, however, you have no joy (whole words only) in your weblog, you must dig deep in your soul and find something wonderful in your life right now. One little thing that fills you with warmth, that bubbles you over with quiet happiness, or tickles you with its good-hearted hilarity, or makes you glad you just took a breath, and are getting ready to take another. It doesn't have to be anything big. A smile someone gave you; your cat on your shoulder; the way the light angles through your window and casts rainbows on your floor. All it has to be is something genuine, something real, something that matters to you. Because we all need joy in our lives, and need to take the time - from time to time - to recognize it. And sometimes, we need to pass it on.
Even if we're a big pain in the ass when we do.When you've dealt with your own joy, pass the quest on to five other bloggers.
If nothing else, this has served to remind me that there is joy in even the littlest of things. Thank you for that. I'm not a big meme person either, but I did search my blog for joy, and found it only in one place. I guess I tend to focus on the negative more than I should.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this one E.
hrm.
ReplyDeleteI apparently do not believe in joy -- or write about it.
I'm glad you do. :)
well, I didn't find it a lot of times on mine either. Not because I'm never happy but because, well, "joy" isn't a word I use a lot. I found happy, satisfied, plenty of other words, just not "joy"...
ReplyDeleteI did not find joy except in an entry I deleted with a family picture, Erin. Happiness? No. Happy only occurred when wishing those whom frequent my blog a, "happy Day of the week," so apparently, I like Laura have no joy in my blog, only wish it for other people, which leads me to link you posted at the end (or beginning) of your Friday post with the (links) words, "whose life are you living anyway?"
ReplyDeleteI read the writer's comment and all I can say is what an ambitious write it is in a world where there are commitments, responsibilities to others and rationales for every conceivable focus other than our own selves, which if you'll pardon me only seems realistic if you don't have commitments and responsibilities outside of yourself: it's a great ideal but hard to realize. I still appreciate that you've shared it and was wondering how you're doing.
I hope you're well.
I don't know when I'll feel like writing or participating again but want ya to know I'm out here thinking about you and yours and your future "yours."
~ML
Aw Mike, it isn't unrealistic to think that we should be true to ourselves. True, it may be more difficult to do than he makes it sound, but I think that until we each do it: be true to ourselves, make our own choices for our own reasons, then we're destined to feel miserable and used and generally unhappy.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, You do not sound like you're doing well my dear - you know where to find me.
ML~
~E
Erin, I left a comment here last night. I guess it didn't register.
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this, even though it's not your style.
I think there is joy hidden in every agnst ridden beautiful poem you post.
And you weren't the alternate, just the last in an equal row of six.
lol Garnet, you're very welcome! and no worries, I wasn't feeling slighted, rather I was using it as an excuse not to have to choose who got tagged ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you again, for the compliment. I love it that people enjoy my work, and can see past the pain and recognize the beauty :)