Check the entire “5 things that bring me joy this week” weekly series here.

It is tough thinking about joy these days, when, inarguably, not a lot of things feel that way, not since this past Friday…

It is maddening to see life and others going on with usual business when truly, we’re steadily going back into dark times. A time when people didn’t have all this information at their fingertips to get familiar with ANY topic, nor the technology and advances in all industries like we have now. With all the progress humanity has made in science, medicine, and so many other fields, some of us, insist on going back to “simpler” times, ignoring the realities of today. Times when disease and death were rampant and knowledge and solutions to prevent those simply didn’t exist.

After seeing so many arguments over the internet, it dawned on me that no matter what examples, explanations, and real facts one brings to the table, some people have closed their hearts and minds, and are set on purporting evil. They’ve completely checked out of reality and are set on further oppressing the oppressed. It sure feels dark around here…

I said on my Instagram stories the other day that in spite of how we may think the future looks, we should focus on the present, and just like we often look back on fond memories in the past, we should continue creating them now. If things do get bad, at least we can “live” off the good moments…

I thought of skipping today in my weekly series but ultimately decided against it. More than ever we need joyful little things… So here are the ones from this week…

• Finally getting a “healthy” rainstorm last night. I’ve said several times that the only thing I love about Florida summers is the daily rainstorms. Well, rain has been a rare occurrence this year so far. We have had some thunderstorms, aka rolling thunder that would do nothing else, until last night that is. I loved every minute of it!

• Passion fruit season. We love them, and they grow in abundance in our area. Some kind people even share them with us. Those people and the fruits bring me joy.

• Flowy breezy dresses. It’s been drier than usual, but the sun is scorching, and flowy, breezy dresses sure come in handy now. Dresses always bring me joy!

• We’ve been more than ever looking to watch funny movies and shows, and Vacation Friends on Hulu was very enjoyable. I’d also recommend Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar also on Hulu.

• Spending some time outdoors. This past weekend we were determined to spend some time outside, and even though it was hot, a nice breeze kept us somewhat comfortable as a storm was brewing up. The storm passed us by, but being outside sure brought us joy and gave us a much-needed respite.

What’s bringing YOU joy this week?

xo,

Em