I woke up today with the feeling that today is gonna suck. Then I remembered a photo on Facebook.
Pure joy
I started off with the idea to talk about this in the fashion of dedicationsixtwelve. Then, I deleted the template… Why? Today my spirit was tormented, and my level of will power to deal with the outside world was at an all time low. I’m not sure if it was that I didn’t get much sleep, or too many days on a very strict diet. Either way, I put my can of care on the shelf, (Thanks Horacio, that is forever stuck in my mind) my well of give-a-fuckitude was dry. My happiness and joy were depleted. My mood was total shit.
For some reason this made think of something earlier this week. I saw something on Facebook that was a surprise. Not hate, racism or divisive political rants, or some clever flash mob of people dancing and spinning pies on poles in the middle of Atocha Station. What I saw was far more impactful and subtle. I saw a picture of an old friend, (let’s call him “B”), and I didn’t recognize him. He looks vaguely familiar. I knew based on the comments it was him, and I knew factually it was him, but the person was almost a stranger.
A little background: B and I only met around 2001. We both had completely separate lives until then, and even now. I will say our adult lives seems to run in a similar parallel, socially awkward, somehow ending up (for me back) in Texas, stumbling our way to somewhat respectable careers in this thing called IT. Eventually moving away from Texas for something different, in different areas of the US. I met up with B a few years back when I was in his area for a work thing. He was good, like me, older but the same ol’ B. We don’t talk much but for some occasional twitter exchanges or “Have you seen this software? It sucks!” Fast forward to this week, to this photo. Something was different. The photo was taken selfie style with B and what I assume is his recent beau being offered to the facebook-iverse for praises and approvals. New glasses, sure. Different haircut? Nah that’s not it. Then it hit me.
He was happy.
This happy was not the “I got 1$ on the big wheel on the price is right and get to jump around and hug Drew Carey on TV”, kind of happiness. It was simply a peaceful calm joy. Pure Joy.
It was amazing to see. A simple photo, radiating pure joy.
So to combat my shitty mood, when I went to the grocery, I picked up some flowers for my wife. I love giving her flowers. She is always genuinely grateful. I love giving. Gratitude and joy cannot be hidden. People can be sneaky with nefarious feelings and behavior; happiness and joy, however, simply have no place to hide, and spread easily from host to host. We can create a pandemic of Joy. Just make an effort to give without effort or expectation. It’s strange, but the more you make an effort to give without expectation, the more you will get back in return. And the joy can spread on and help with days you’re in a shitty mood like my day today.
P.S. Aunt Madeline’s “apple stuff” helps fix moods too.