Thoughts on how it's important to enjoy things you love and find joyfulness even when the news about planet Earth is bleak.
There've been many times in recent years when news from the outside world seems so bad I can't help but feel depressed and miserable. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina sent me into a funk for weeks, and the ongoing news about climate change could easily push me into a permanent down mood, if I let it.
I've resolved, though, not to let it. After all, if I'm doing the best I can to live well and effect change for the better, shouldn't I also do what I can to enjoy what I have? Not stuff, of course: I can live without plenty of stuff. But the joyful things of life, even if they're only here for a little while or are threatened by global change.
For me, those joyful things are spending time with and talking with my family, playing silly games with my almost-five-year-old son, laughing at funny movies with my husband, getting a chill down my spine from a Mozart concerto or gazing on the beautiful blue-green waters and bright-white sands of the beaches near my home. It's listening to early-morning birds chirping in my backyard, spotting the first sprouts of the garden vegetables I've planted or taking that first sip of a really nice cabernet.
Too often, green-minded and environmentally-focused people are accused of being messengers of doom and gloom. While the real-world news might not be so great, we don't have to make it worse for ourselves with self-inflicted misery. So, whatever gives you joy -- smelling a rose, baking bread, taking a walk in the woods, sewing your own clothes -- be sure to find time for it, at least a little bit, every day.
