To Find Joy ...

"Learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

I came across this quotation this past week, and it resonated with me. It's similar to a saying I've heard before that essentially says to love the life you have, not the one you wished you had. When we can find joy and happiness in our present circumstances, we can appreciate what we have. Sometimes, that joy and happiness first needs us to accept our present circumstances, rather than spending our effort wishing things were differently. 

We had plans in August for a long weekend backcountry camping with AJ, our third year with this tradition. My parents had graciously agreed to spent quality time with Teddy to allow us to go. The week before our planned trip, we determined that felt too risky given the pandemic and changed our plans to spend a weekend with only AJ at our land. Then essentially a hurricane hit Iowa, and my folks headed there to help my brother with much-needed storm clean up. Completely understandable, yet still disappointing.

So we decided that even though it was a horrible time for me to be off work, we'd attempt to do a long weekend at the land with AJ last weekend as there won't be nice enough weather much longer for us to do that. All went as planned until it didn't, and we ended up at the land for the weekend with Teddy and my parents there. My folks were awesome and intentional to divert as much of Teddy's time as possible to allow AJ and us to do some of the things we hoped and planned to do, things that are impossible with Teddy in tow. We managed a hike up the side of the "mountain" that would have been impossible with no trail and Teddy on my back. AJ went through a box of matches and spent hours working on building fires from a flint and striker. We did some woodworking projects and cut plenty of firewood. 

This kid makes the best faces smooshed in the window.

AJ was initially in tears when our plans changed yet again, and my dad apologized profusely that the weekend didn't go as planned. I said it went how it went, and that was perfectly OK. When I asked AJ what the best part of the weekend was, his answer was "spending time with everyone." That wasn't part of the plan, yet it ended up topping his list (even though he carved a pumpkin with a machete). 

Still, I'm not going to lie. I'm disappointed I didn't get to check off one item on the wish list for the weekend: Sleep for 12 hours straight.