Joyful Stuff in Trying Times

I am sharing my post here today, because every time I go back to edit something on that page today it loses one of my embedded things, and this last time it looked like it was going to delete the MrLinky again...so I'm staying put right here. Ha! In isolation!

One of the greatest joys of this time in self-quarantine has been the time to reconnect to God. And I count the self-quarantine time as starting Jan. 9  My "isolation" felt like it started the day I fell down the stairs and broke things that needed putting back together. It's the day I began regaining my joy. Life slowed down. It was painful and lonely. At rehab I'd kept asking to go outside even for a minute, but no one was available to help me get there and they kept telling me it was too cold. "yes, I know you are from Maine, but this is cold even for you." I'm sorry, how do they know that??? Me who stood outside at bus duty at 0 degrees and lower in Wisconsin winters?? And I wouldn't be out there long. One person even asked if I had a coat, and I smiled and said YES! But then they turned around and it was over. No trip outside. Everyone was busy and I couldn't do it alone. I looked out the window again. Pieces of joy shattered around me.

When those moments happened, I tried to scrape up some of the pieces and move on to others and their needs. I met some wonderful people going through rehab, and many of them were discouraged and lonely. I began reaching out to patients there to see if I could help with their joy, and it helped my own joy to grow.
There's joy in helping others through difficult times even when you yourself are going through difficulty.

When I finally got home with my daughter and grandchildren, I had a bed in the living room downstairs. There were very quiet times with the cat when everyone was gone. But the times they were there, I got great joy from the talks, the fashion shows, the Lego spaceships, the Sunday devotionals my 8 year old grandson would read to me from his book.
Oh, there's so much joy being a part of other's lives.

Then just as I was able to use a walker and could set the wheelchair and scooter aside...COVID19 struck. Because my upstairs in-law apartment had been vacant for 2+ months, it was a good place to try to get to and stay put. So with cane in hand and sturdy railing and daughter to help, I got up those dreaded stairs. I would not be coming down anytime soon. But I made it up there again finally.
There is joy in doing difficult things.

Up here, I began my own PT. I used the walker, progressed to just cane, and then the cane only half a day...and then decided I could go downstairs to take a walk outside - distancing of course. There's joy. I found some. There was a breeze and sun, and it was almost too warm for the coat. I didn't go anywhere. The stairs had been enough to do.
So now you know -

There's joy in a breeze,
joy in the sun;
joy in the living
each moment begun.

Joy's found in rain
it's pattering voice
tells you to listen -
you're given the choice.

There's hope to be found
keep faith not despair
re-open your heart
He'll place the joy there.

by Donna JT Smith, 4/2/2020

 *This is not the post I started. Not the poem. Everything is different. I had different things that have given me joy in my time upstairs...but I guess this is the one I was supposed to write. Let's see if it saves...

**Click on the link or use the URL, if you would like to see a VERY encouraging informative video done by a NY doctor who is up close and personal with COVID19 every day watch this.  It is long, so have your coffee or tea beside you.  You will want to watch it.  It will give you much hope and insight!
https://vimeo.com/399733860
I would embed it, but that hasn't gone well for me lately!