As a kid, it was playing in the sandbox or swimming in my best friend’s pool late at night. As I got older, it was laughing so hard with friends that nothing else existed. As a young mom, it was watching my kids figure something out for the first time, or the way a hug from them could reset everything.
Now, it’s a slow morning, lunch with a friend, or dinner with people I love—talking about our gardens, our kids, and everything we are going through, from kids growing up to spouses and parents dying, relationships ending, and new ones beginning.
When I look for the common thread, it’s always the same: my people. My people bring me joy in both the hardest moments and the best ones, and I’ve learned you can’t just show up for one or the other.
That is my story of joy, friends.
