Joy and happiness are different to me. I’m totally ok with not having daily joy. I’m sure I have happiness i some way most every day. Joy to me is like a big wallop of happiness or surprise or good emotion.
I’m sure we all define it differently!
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I am definitely experiencing joy—D arrived last night, S arrives tonight and S’s fiancée arrives tomorrow! Life is very wonderful!
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40-45 years ago, my Mom made us learn Silent Night in German. It was one of the songs we would sing in harmony on tape for my grandparents. I never knew what I was saying, but I never forgot it. In the last year I’ve been learning German and read the lyrics. I was pretty close to getting it right!
Fast forward to this morning, we (me, H, two S’ and both GFs) went to church in the great Stephensdom - the high mass led by the Cardinal. (Though I don’t identify with a religion, I grew up Catholic and had my kids attend through middle school.) the recessional hymn was Stille Nacht. Yes, I was filled with joy thinking of my little self learning it all those years ago and sitting here now with my growing family. I love them so much, GFs included. Everyone is so thankful to be here and we all enjoy each others’ company. It was a beautiful day
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My hometown church concludes our candlelight service on Christmas Eve with Silent Night. I lost my mom in 2008 and think of her (and the year D dripped candle wax on her dress wool coat during the service) and feel both sadness and joy that she lives in my heart. Went to new church with D’s family yesterday and had same emotions when singing Silent Night during service.
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Yes, I think joy is a little louder than happiness, contentment, or gratitude. And harder to come by. Christmas is a tough time for me - I enjoy the early festive days of December much more than than the week of Christmas. That said - I felt joy or a kind of bliss on the 26th when I had a day at home with nothing to do but take a long walk, eat all the delicious leftovers, and relax under a blanket on the couch.
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I felt joy when I opened my mailbox yesterday and had a card and note from my college roommate. She is originally from a city about an hour from here, but now her younger sister lives here and her mom is in assisted living here, so good chance I may get to see her this year for the first time in over 40 years when she is here to visit her mom. Very happy about that possibility!
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I am thrilled S’s fiancée had 2 nice visits with our family—this month and last month. We all got along great with her and she seemed to enjoy all of us as well. She just flew out last night and S flies out tonight to join her.
She and S saw a lot of wedding venues and eliminated several. They are narrowing their focus of venues and get along so very well. They are a great pair and so well matched. They plan to spend a lot of time with us in their further wedding planning. 
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Today’s joy - sitting on top of the mountain looking down on Innsbruck. I love mountains. The air is so clean and fresh. My lungs feel better at 10,000 feet than at sea level at home (especially in the summer!)
And laying in a hotel room eating a giant milka chocolate caramel candy bar ain’t half bad either
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I was outside today snow shoveling, rather happy since it was so much warmer and sunnier than the snow last week. But then I had a bit of joy/gratitude realizing this dump of more than a foot will give the area some sorely needed water.
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Today’s joy is tempered.
DS2 is going to his 10-year HS reunion tonight. A whole bunch of friends agreed to stay through the holidays to make the event. The joy is that he remains in touch with so many people from throughout his childhood. Some of these people are friends since second grade. Some he met in middle school. One he dated for two years.
The not-joyful part is that he’ll be leaving early in the morning, if he even comes back here tonight. High-tailing it back to his new hometown for NYE with that new batch of friends, only one of whom I’ve met.
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My joy today is that it got to 60° today.
Taking wind chills into consideration, that is a 100° turn around from a week ago when it was at or close to -40° with the wind chills.
We still have snow on the ground, though. It is working on going way.
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My other joy is having rearranged things in the kitchen so the Air Fryer is grouped in a corner with the rice cooker and toaster oven. Can easily move whichever appliance(s) is/are in use to the stainless steel counter which does NOT have cupboards above it and then back out of the way when done. If H ever makes the window screens, can open the window behind the stainless steel counter so any smoke and steam can escape as well. I’ve been waiting many years for the screens. Oh well.
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Today’s joy: the extra long ‘squeeze hug’ from 4 y/o grandson before departing for the airport.
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I love this. Today is my first day of Nestivus!!!
I loved having everyone but it is a bit of joy to have a day that I can move at my pace and put my house back together.
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I love this, too!
And my DH and sons are visiting the in-laws out of town today so I’m home alone with the dogs and excited to have Nestivus all alone!!
(Younger dog gets car sick so someone had to stay home with him. )
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Well, S and fiancée are gone so it’s D, H and me. We are pretty chill and can just chillax now.
Happiness is logging on everyday this week and no one was online at work.
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ExpatS and GF got engaged on New Year’s Eve! Did it at the big pavilion outside the National Opera House in Lviv, to applause and shouts of “Slava Ukraini!”
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