I choose Joy and Kindness in response to this month’s “Free for All” prompt for the Photo Blogging Challenge.
Regular readers may remember that as part of last month’s PBC post, I wrote, “I’m determined to practice kindness, patience and inclusiveness in my own quiet rebellion against the madness. Will you join me?” I confess that I’m finding the patience part of this to be particularly challenging. Some days I turn into a Trump-grump. Mr GeoK has taken to calling me GOWoman (grumpy old woman) when I get particularly impatient, a riff on his own GOMAN screen name. 😉
Channeling my inner GOWoman, I’ve written to provincial government officials twice this month (once about Eastern slopes coal mining and once about cougar hunting), emailed our local bylaw enforcement about a subdivision developer running heavy equipment well before 7 am, and sent all kinds of negative feedback to SKIP after using the app for the first time ever to order dinner delivered to my in-laws for their 65th anniversary.
While I don’t mind a little gentle teasing when I’m grumpy, I am on guard against turning into a GOWoman for real. Tuning into moments of Joy and Kindness is a countermeasure. I like to practice quiet Kindness. So I don’t have any photos of moments like when I passed along an ice axed we’ve had in our storage room for a few years to an aspiring winter guide in the Bow Valley, shared baking with a neighbour or gave a favourite brand of soap to a friend. Nor of the various thank you notes and emails I’ve sent this month. Nor of any other small acts of decency and goodwill.
But I have way more than five photos capturing moments of Joy this month. Here are five of my favourites:
1. Out and About with Mr GeoK
It’s always a treat to get Out and About with Mr GeoK. While we frequently walk this trail in Canmore, we almost always notice something new or different while we’re getting exercise and absorbing a dose of Vitamin N(ature).
2. Family Board Game Nights
I continue to cherish the fact that our 25 year old is willing to indulge me by taking part in family board game nights. Especially since I’m rarely a serious contender (Mr GeoK is often in the running for first place when we play Wingspan). When K’s first turn netted five foods, I knew I’d lose again. But I do find joy in watching how strategically our kids play these complex board games. I’m sure all the years of video games have something to do with it.
3. Whimsy
Mr GeoK and I went out for lunch on Valentine’s Day. He had a meeting that morning, so I walked to the restaurant and he drove down after his meeting to meet me. I walked a slightly different route than I have in the past, and was delighted to come across this unique back lane fence! Only in Canmore! 🙂
4. Noticing Nature
For years I’ve been writing about the importance of building a sense of connection with the rest of Nature. For my own well-being, I have a long-established habit of noticing Nature – the changing of the seasons, flora and fauna, the landscape and the sky. One day towards the end of this month, we came out of the local grocery store and I stopped in my tracks. The overhead clouds, moving quickly across the valley, were stunningly beautiful. This phone photograph simply doesn’t do them justice.
5. Time with Friends
It’s been months since I got together with one of my dearest friends. Lucky me, even though she’s recovering from two broken ribs, our schedules FINALLY allowed us to get together for a in-person visit one morning this month. We walked along the Bow River pathway in Calgary, enjoying a beautiful sunrise while trying to cram as much conversation into our time together as possible. Thank you, friend – spending time with you always refreshes my spirit. 🙂
While not captured in a photograph, one of the biggest joys in my life this month is my Mom’s miraculous reprieve from the worst symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Thanks to a big injection of prednisone, she’s gone from being almost totally disabled to being much more capable. We are all hopeful that this reprieve will give a new kind of medication the chance to kick in, so that she’ll enjoy a reasonable level of physical capability for years to come. Go Mom!
That’s it for me this month. I hope you experienced a few moments of joy in February and I encourage you to practice your own brand of quiet kindness, patience and inclusiveness going forward.
If you’re as curious as I am to see how other PBC participants responded to “Free for All” then hop on over to host PJ’s blog, A ‘lil HooHaa. The link up is at the bottom of his post.
While you’re there, please consider joining us for March. We’re a small, kind and supportive community of bloggers. All you need are five photos and a blogging platform. Several free options are available, including WordPress. The theme for March is Twelve (to celebrate 12 years of the PBC).
It’s rather tough right now to always be kind and filled with joy. While I am doing my best as well, the world as we know it as gone mad. Your five photos, though, captured joy quite well. That first one on the trail is very cool. Love that sun over the fence and the board game photo really makes me realize I need to get back into playing games some. The little pieces of joy will hopefully get you through those grumpy times!
This was such a wonderful post—it truly made me smile and lifted my spirits. It brought light and joy into my day. You are such a dear friend, and I would never describe you as a GOWoman—that part really made me laugh! You’re principled, informed, generous, and kind. You’re always willing to stand up for what’s right, and you’re incredibly talented. But a GOWoman? Never! Thank you for sharing this—I look forward to reading your posts every month and am FINALLY catching up on my comments!
We’re trying our hardest over here to keep a chin up, being a blue dot in a sea of red is quite difficult. Your Joy and Kindness helps. Your most made me think of my mantra for our current situation, a quote by C.S. Lewis that I’m trying to heed:
“The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb, when it comes, find us doing sensible and human things — praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts — not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs.”
― C.S. Lewis
Thank you for sharing that – it’s beautiful and inspiring. For young people who are struggling with mental health, it underscores the importance of holding a sense of purpose and connection, no matter what’s going on around you.
Many people were in a bad mood last month, and while certain individuals at the WH are giving us every reason to be grumpy, it seems that Mars retrograde also played a role when it came to a lack of energy and motivation.
You have done well to focus on experiencing joy and giving joy!
The fence made of skis is supposed to be off!
Unfortunately I can’t see pictures number 4 and 5. They won’t load with two different browsers.
What happened with my sentence about the ski fence?!
I wanted to say “The fence made from skis looks great!”
Joy and kindness are always a good start in how to approach life. But, it’s hard when situations go sideways or upside-down! It’s fine to be passionate about an issue or stance. But, love and kindness, along with grace and mercy, should be an active participant in our actions. Nature is a wonderfully calming medicine when life is less than perfect. I love the fence! What a great find! I have to say I’m D.O.N.E. with winter and am looking forward to spring color.
OMG…. I needed this today, as I am in a rare but bad grumpy mood caused by a combination of the world politics and this weather. Although it is sunny and warm, it is not conducive to my favourite activities…… skiing (x2), snowshoeing, hiking or biking. I am miserable. Going to read my book, which won’t really help ( Naomi Klein’s Doppelgänger) after which I had better go out for a local walk somewhere and practise some kindness.