In my last post I stated July is for juicy joys only because as valuable as joy is, it is often an elusive emotion, and this July proves no different. The Guadalupe River flooding that devastated the communities throughout Kerr County is as horrific a natural disaster as one could ever imagine. Everyone knows someone who knows a lot of someone’s, my Texas cousin told me. Looking for joy at this moment feels  far from possible. And yet, little by little, we must crawl through the darkness, live with the sorrow, and eventually, scratch out some hope as the very word implies: “To hold hope in the absence of any justification for hope.” Somehow this is what we do when called upon in the very worst of situations. “To hope is to transcend one’s circumstances–to know that the circumstances are dire and choose to dream anyway” (McDonald). Tiny step by tiny step, we allow for a sliver of light to inform our dusky and deep sadness, and it is through these moments we will discover hope again.

When you are ready to feel them, here are a few tiny little joys from my life this week. Watching flowers open on my table. Simple summer blooms do the job.

My sons and grandson provoke a similar delight. All three watching the ball hit high to hover for an instant before floating back down hopefully within reach. I could watch them watching the flying ball for hours, and in doing so, expand our collective dopamine levels with ease. Researchers tell us, “The key is to start with very small does of joy (you know, like tiny little joys?), allowing the person to gradually build tolerance and resilience to larger expressions of happiness over time” (McDonald). Taking a mini-break from worry or fear or sorrow when you can is not a betrayal. It is survival. It is living. When you can.

Don’t expect a grandiose gesture, just a moment to remember that something else is possible. A new dawn. A mindset shift. A smile. Even a tiny little one.