Delight is totally radical, which means I must do it, despite the world's troubles weighing heavily on my heart. Thank you for introducing this concept. I believe we can cultivate it causing it to happen more.
I felt, yes, DELIGHT in reading this today. So many reasons why. Here are a few:
1. I don't know if you're aware of this or are participating in this, but Jeannine Ouellette is hosting a 12-week writing intensive based on Ross Gay's THE BOOK OF DELIGHTS. And on Saturday I finished reading it. What a joy! What surprises! And I laughed in unexpected places. So...serendipitous connection #1.
2. Yesterday during the virtual book club, we discussed the word DELIGHT and what it means in a creative sense, how it shows up as pleasure, or surprise, or wonder and awe. So...serendipitous connection #2.
3. Only moments before I read your post, I wrote a Note about several DELIGHTS that happened to me today--unexpectedly! Serendipitous connection #3!
And...congrats on presenting at this retreat. So happy for you!
Yay. I’m just glad you are feeling better today, Alex. I never struggled with migraines until after the birth of our fifth child almost five years ago, so I know—without words—how excruciating and debilitating they can be. I think I’ve identified my own triggers for them (chocolate, red wine, severe shifts in barometric pressure, and stress), so that helps. But it doesn’t mean they’re gone, right? Anyway, next time hopefully I will see you—in February, I mean. Serendipity always has its way of finding us, no matter the circumstances, don’t you think?
I believe it always have a way of finding us. No matter the circumstances. My year last year taught me to lean into what the universe is saying and sharing. It will always find us. Haha!
Any post that uses the words "delight" "sunbeam" "luxuriate" and "kaleidoscope" has got me re-reading and re-reading! Thank you for this bit of delectable and delicious goodness in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. Suddently, I am delighting in the sunbeam that is bouncing off my keyboard. A beautiful thing when the temperature outside is -9F.
I looked up delight in the etymological dictionary (couldn't help me word-nerdness). It comes from the root Latin delectare, which is the root for delectable and delicious. No wonder. It used to be spelled delite and was changed later to de-light.
the D-sound so often to me feels heavy, dense, a "down" energy. But it this rare care, it is uplifting, because it starts at the down and climbs up to the heights of the extending I-sound, only punctuated by a tinkerbell T.
Awwwww, Teri - thank you! I sooooooo appreciate all of your insights and reflections here. The etymological journey of delight is so interesting! I really enjoyed it as I journeyed through it.
I really loved how you shared about the d-sound. I have never really noticed that before, and after a few random minutes of trying out lots of d sounds (had to rewrite that a few times 😂), I see what you are saying. I'm so glad that delight can bring such brightness back to this word!
I'm so grateful for the uniqueness you always bring here. Truly grateful.
This was a true delight, Alex! My friend and I who connect daily via email choose a monthly theme to focus on, and this month's is Sweet Joys! It is pure simple delights as you describe here. So needed in this world! And I love your definition! 💜
This is gorgeous Alex. I've been writing about joy this week, so it's very timely to come across your post too. Here's to a life filled with sparks of delight and deep pools of joy ✨❤
I love everything about this piece, Alex, and it's like a little gift from the universe to read this today when I've had a number of "ugh" moments to deal with. I absolutely prefer your definition of the word; the dictionary ones felt flat and not at all "delightful".
thank you! I had so many ugh moments today too, and I actually re-read my essay a few times. I was like, dang - I need to live what I wrote! It made my day SO much better.
I absolutely love this, Alex. You might say I was delighted. 😀 And what a joy to hear your voice! Please do more of that.
You will probably already guess how in sync your thoughts and mine are on this topic. And I had to laugh at your use of the word invite because I called my post this morning and invitation. And there’s also a bit of a connection between your definition of delight and my post this Monday about feeling better when you’re dancing.
For me, delight often also has an element of surprise. Not in a surprise party kind of way, which I do not like at all, but just in the fact that it often comes from an unexpected place. I also think that delight tends to sneak up on you. It’s not something you can plan for or fabricate, like the moment with your coffee cup. It just happens.
Thanks again for such a lovely Post to start my day m. 💜
Listening to the voiceover was like a guided meditation. I really liked it.
The story about the shopping cart in the store made me laugh. It also reminded me of one of the invitations we give as forest therapy guides: Notice the sounds of the place you are in, perhaps it is a symphony.
Thank you, Sam! I appreciate you listening and the feedback.
Oh, grocery shopping with me is fun. Whether it be my ADHD squirreling off, or some random dancing, it is certain to be a fun and laughter-filled trip!
What a wonderful invitation, particularly in the forest. Because it truly is a symphony. 🩵
A true test is finding the symphony in everyday life. I try to do it when my misophonia flares up. Sometimes it helps.
I squirrel off all the time with my husband, he hates it. I just assume he should be watching me like a toddler if he wants to know where I am. He has since ignored it and continues on so I get a little lost trying to find him LOL
Alex I love how you've written such a beautiful definition here- delight DOES shatters routine, it is radical and it does totally transform. I recognise these moments in my own life but I've never known what to call them; a moment when I'm overcome with joy, which only happens when I'm truly deeply present and which often brings a tear to my eye as I realise how fortunate I am to live this life. You've written before about a gratitude practice and I feel like this takes it to the next level, the act of recognising and dwelling in those super special moments.
I'm going to start keeping a note of the moments of deep delight in my life and I'm interested to see if that process makes them more often 🥰
Delight is totally radical, which means I must do it, despite the world's troubles weighing heavily on my heart. Thank you for introducing this concept. I believe we can cultivate it causing it to happen more.
I truly hope so. I feel so many of worlds troubles in my heart right now, and I wrote this as a way, I hope, for others to lighten their heavy heart.
I LOVE the image of you sashaying thru the grocery store, squeak / creak dancing to the tune you hear!
Haha! Thanks, Teyani! I will admit… it wasn’t the first time i’ve been dancing through the grocery store before 🫣
Alex!
I felt, yes, DELIGHT in reading this today. So many reasons why. Here are a few:
1. I don't know if you're aware of this or are participating in this, but Jeannine Ouellette is hosting a 12-week writing intensive based on Ross Gay's THE BOOK OF DELIGHTS. And on Saturday I finished reading it. What a joy! What surprises! And I laughed in unexpected places. So...serendipitous connection #1.
2. Yesterday during the virtual book club, we discussed the word DELIGHT and what it means in a creative sense, how it shows up as pleasure, or surprise, or wonder and awe. So...serendipitous connection #2.
3. Only moments before I read your post, I wrote a Note about several DELIGHTS that happened to me today--unexpectedly! Serendipitous connection #3!
And...congrats on presenting at this retreat. So happy for you!
Hello my friend!
I didn’t know that! What an amazing serendipitous connection! I really love the book of delights. I find it so thought provoking and delightful.
Oh my goodness. I’m so mad at my migraine! I wish I could have come. How truly serendipitous #2.
I’m going to have to find that note and restack it! Such perfect universe synergy 🩵
I’m SO excited to present. Thank you!!
Yay. I’m just glad you are feeling better today, Alex. I never struggled with migraines until after the birth of our fifth child almost five years ago, so I know—without words—how excruciating and debilitating they can be. I think I’ve identified my own triggers for them (chocolate, red wine, severe shifts in barometric pressure, and stress), so that helps. But it doesn’t mean they’re gone, right? Anyway, next time hopefully I will see you—in February, I mean. Serendipity always has its way of finding us, no matter the circumstances, don’t you think?
I believe it always have a way of finding us. No matter the circumstances. My year last year taught me to lean into what the universe is saying and sharing. It will always find us. Haha!
YES! I believe that, too.
Any post that uses the words "delight" "sunbeam" "luxuriate" and "kaleidoscope" has got me re-reading and re-reading! Thank you for this bit of delectable and delicious goodness in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. Suddently, I am delighting in the sunbeam that is bouncing off my keyboard. A beautiful thing when the temperature outside is -9F.
I looked up delight in the etymological dictionary (couldn't help me word-nerdness). It comes from the root Latin delectare, which is the root for delectable and delicious. No wonder. It used to be spelled delite and was changed later to de-light.
the D-sound so often to me feels heavy, dense, a "down" energy. But it this rare care, it is uplifting, because it starts at the down and climbs up to the heights of the extending I-sound, only punctuated by a tinkerbell T.
Awwwww, Teri - thank you! I sooooooo appreciate all of your insights and reflections here. The etymological journey of delight is so interesting! I really enjoyed it as I journeyed through it.
I really loved how you shared about the d-sound. I have never really noticed that before, and after a few random minutes of trying out lots of d sounds (had to rewrite that a few times 😂), I see what you are saying. I'm so glad that delight can bring such brightness back to this word!
I'm so grateful for the uniqueness you always bring here. Truly grateful.
love you Alex
🥺🥹🩵
This was a true delight, Alex! My friend and I who connect daily via email choose a monthly theme to focus on, and this month's is Sweet Joys! It is pure simple delights as you describe here. So needed in this world! And I love your definition! 💜
This is gorgeous Alex. I've been writing about joy this week, so it's very timely to come across your post too. Here's to a life filled with sparks of delight and deep pools of joy ✨❤
Thank you, Vicki, for reading ands haring. I so appreciate you! I just subscribed, and I cannot wait to read more! 🩵
I love everything about this piece, Alex, and it's like a little gift from the universe to read this today when I've had a number of "ugh" moments to deal with. I absolutely prefer your definition of the word; the dictionary ones felt flat and not at all "delightful".
thank you! I had so many ugh moments today too, and I actually re-read my essay a few times. I was like, dang - I need to live what I wrote! It made my day SO much better.
I absolutely love this, Alex. You might say I was delighted. 😀 And what a joy to hear your voice! Please do more of that.
You will probably already guess how in sync your thoughts and mine are on this topic. And I had to laugh at your use of the word invite because I called my post this morning and invitation. And there’s also a bit of a connection between your definition of delight and my post this Monday about feeling better when you’re dancing.
For me, delight often also has an element of surprise. Not in a surprise party kind of way, which I do not like at all, but just in the fact that it often comes from an unexpected place. I also think that delight tends to sneak up on you. It’s not something you can plan for or fabricate, like the moment with your coffee cup. It just happens.
Thanks again for such a lovely Post to start my day m. 💜
Yes. I think that surprise element is also important! A little bit of unexpectedness.
I love how in sync we are. 🩵 A lot of your work on play, and I just finished reading your earlier article, and just, WOW.
And thank you for the feedback on the voiceover. I’ll plan to do that more!
Listening to the voiceover was like a guided meditation. I really liked it.
The story about the shopping cart in the store made me laugh. It also reminded me of one of the invitations we give as forest therapy guides: Notice the sounds of the place you are in, perhaps it is a symphony.
Thank you, Sam! I appreciate you listening and the feedback.
Oh, grocery shopping with me is fun. Whether it be my ADHD squirreling off, or some random dancing, it is certain to be a fun and laughter-filled trip!
What a wonderful invitation, particularly in the forest. Because it truly is a symphony. 🩵
A true test is finding the symphony in everyday life. I try to do it when my misophonia flares up. Sometimes it helps.
I squirrel off all the time with my husband, he hates it. I just assume he should be watching me like a toddler if he wants to know where I am. He has since ignored it and continues on so I get a little lost trying to find him LOL
Ah the tiny magic of delight!
Enjoyed reading your take on it. Sharing my recent one.
Let's delight!!!
https://mirandavandenheuvel.substack.com/p/5-simple-steps-to-find-delight
Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to read.
Congratulations, Alex! I love the description for the retreat😊
Alex I love how you've written such a beautiful definition here- delight DOES shatters routine, it is radical and it does totally transform. I recognise these moments in my own life but I've never known what to call them; a moment when I'm overcome with joy, which only happens when I'm truly deeply present and which often brings a tear to my eye as I realise how fortunate I am to live this life. You've written before about a gratitude practice and I feel like this takes it to the next level, the act of recognising and dwelling in those super special moments.
I'm going to start keeping a note of the moments of deep delight in my life and I'm interested to see if that process makes them more often 🥰