I’m piggy-backing from a recent New York Times article that says if your New Year’s resolution is to be happier, then don’t put yourself first.
Forget the spa retreat, the gym membership, or the make-over and instead invest in your relationships.
Engage in activities that broaden your circle of friends. Do things that strengthen your ties with others; especially your loved ones.
Specifically, do something nice for others because the inherent byproduct is it gives you joy.
Happiness is a shared experience.
Though I know this advice is true, it’s sometimes a challenge for me to embrace.
I don’t know if I can be classified as an introvert, but I certainly enjoy my solitude.
Of late, nothing has brought me more joy than the Sisyphean task of pulling weeds, especially now that the clayey soil has eased its grip.
No matter that it’s all too brief until the next crop emerges, I like seeing a patch of grass that can “breathe.” I like freeing small saplings from the vise-like grip of vines, and seeing them spring back and stand tall.
Lately I’ve been tackling a large swath of weeds that as far as I can determine hail from the Euphorbia species, not to be confused with euphoric. There’s nothing delightful about them.
Commonly referred to as spurge, their woody stems are tough on hands. I’d wear gloves, but to find the roots I have to lightly feather my fingers among their leaves to locate their center.
