Simple pleasures antidote to melancholy

How odd.

Even though the weather absolutely gorgeous today, I felt out of synch with the beauty of the day.

Today was a day of melancholy for me.

Perhaps it’s because it’s close to the anniversary of the death of one of my husband’s sisters.

Perhaps it’s because the other sisters have been here visiting and now they’ve gone  home and I miss them.

Perhaps it’s because the project that I have been wrestling with for days is refusing to set itself to rights and is a disappointment.

Perhaps it’s because I always feel sad when I cut down the glorious hollyhocks and sunflowers and put the yard to bed for the pending cold winter that comes so quickly and stays so long.

Anyhow…today was a melancholy day.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

But then….

I walked past

a group of

‘Blessed Bunny’

tatting shuttles

that I’d just finished

varnishing.

They stopped me

in my tracks and

just made my heart leap up

in delight…. Yes!

And then!

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I turned around

and saw the

most

incredibly gorgeous

rainbow in the studio!

wow…..

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

And, then,

I looked down

at my much worn

comfie old socks,

and saw that they

were in need of

darning.

So I poured myself

a cup of tea,

and sat down and

indulged myself

in one of the great

simple pleasures of all time.

I darned my sock.

And, decided that these three things  were pretty good metaphors as metaphors go….. sometimes, things get worn and threadbare, but they can be patched. And, there is much joy to be had in stopping to be touched by charming small things, and to feel blessed by a miracle of nature. But… it takes noticing. And, it takes courage to not run and hide from the melancholy.

I have set the unco-operative project aside, and I am darning another sock and sipping more tea, and feeling very grateful to live a life that is full of small, but sweet and simple pleasures. I am lucky and blessed indeed.

And, yes, melancholy is part of life at times, but there are ways of facing it and finding the blessings and coming home to joy….