Joy

Published 1:30 am Saturday, April 11, 2026

By Teresa Smith

Journal contributor

I am feeling it. The dark winter has somewhat subsided, and spring is upon us. And with it, I notice an emotion I have missed.

I have been pondering this elusive feeling. I am researching my daily moods and come to find out, I am not completely at the mercy of whatever sentiments waft into my day.

Sometimes a mood is a mood, and I can’t shake it. I sometimes don’t even notice. The lows aren’t very low, and the highs hover above midline. Then one day, like last week, I was walking home from my neighbor’s house. My dog Finn romping along with my two cats, Selkie and Potato. I think about how much they love coming on walks with me and how grateful I am to have such good neighbors. I am taking it in, and then a feeling of bliss overtakes me, and I am filled with appreciation for all of it. Like a wash of well-being that trundles through my body from my toes to my heart.

It makes me think, joy comes when I appreciate goodness. For instance. I invite the horses to come up and mow around my house. I giggle at their love and anticipation of the event. They sure like mowing more than I do, and this makes me smile. For me, joy is about recognizing the good and cherishing the beautiful. And so, as I go through my day, I do so in a walk of gratefulness. Like the way I notice how the cedar branch sways around the trunk. And how much I love the mosses and lichen this time of year. As I listen to the sea birds having a jolly time, and as I notice how much Finnigan loves our walks in the woods. I observe how I share their joy.

As spring comes on, I feel more exhilarated than I have in a while. I seek out the good, I witness the details and I look for beauty. And then, with my nose in my horse’s mane, I appreciate every drop of all that is. And I know this experience is who I really am.