I am thankful for joys in my life.
I look for something to smile about every day. A good joke, a flower, a wave from a stranger, or a call from my son all make me happy and bring a smile. But true joys are fewer and farther between.
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| I can't show you the neighborhood dogs, but I can show Miss Landers' dog joyfully playing ball in the river. |
However, I am blessed that I have an opportunity for a joyful activity most mornings. A golden retriever, Max, lives across the street, and every morning at 7 am, he has a visitor, Frodo - a smaller black dog. Frodo's owner lets him off the lead, and Max comes out to play. They romp, run, and wrestle. They exude joy as only dogs can, and it is contagious. They play for about 15 minutes while Frodo's owner stands quietly on the side. And then they all go on their merry ways. It's a great way to start the day.
Tonight, I had a rarer joy- Christmas carolers. For a few years now, the kids in the neighborhood have gotten together and gone caroling. Tonight we were serenaded by 16 kids ranging in age from preschoolers to teenagers. The older ones took care of the younger ones and pulled them in a wagon from house to house. The group had music to which they sang 4 songs. There were shy kids who hid behind others, there were bouncy ones who danced to every song, and there were serious singers who sang from the heart. Watching and listening to those kids was pure joy for me. They represented the spirit of the season in every way. And not to mention, they were too cute for words.
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| I can't show you the neighborhood kids, so I'll show you Charlie Brown and the gang caroling on our doormat. (Along with my toes.) |
So for the free spirit and joy of playing dogs and the caroling of children, I am thankful.
Those are some truly wonderful joys! I loved reading about Max and Frodo and their morning frolics and about the carolers! I like your Charlie Brown doormat, too! And Miss Lander's dog is beautiful! Love that tail! :)
ReplyDeleteThe dogs are so much fun to watch. Apparently, if Max missed a morning with Frodo, he mopes the entire day. So I think the dogs are enjoying their play as much as it looks like they are. Miss Landers' dog is a pretty one and real cuddler, too.
DeleteI'm envious of your carolers. I remember caroling parties when I was a kid. I love to sing, and that was a joyful activity (not to mention that many houses offered us cookies as a reward). During the covid lockdown, when my mom was in assisted living, my siblings and I (and some of the spouses) caroled outside of my mom's window. Mom loved singing and we could see her singing along with us.
ReplyDeleteWe were at a Christmas get-together last week and the hosts have a dog named Max (our cat's name is also Max). I'm convinced that these pets with that name are joy-bringers, although I confess that my nerdy side loves the name Frodo.
I caroled as a kid, too, and always liked it. However, I don't remember getting many treats. But my neighborhood had a lot of elderly people who probably were not in the position to give treats. We also went to the local hospitals and sang. Good King Wenceslaus was my specialty.
DeleteMax is a classic pet name (I have know several), but Frodo seems perfect, too.
That's cute about the dogs getting together each morning.
ReplyDeleteIt's so much fun to watch. The weather has been extremely cold and wet recently, so they haven't been out as much.
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