Joy

I’ve been thinking about what brings me joy – besides my friend Joy! I had so many thoughts about this and couldn’t really narrow joy down to one person/place/thing. Until I was cleaning out photos on my phone and came across this pic of me and my daughter, Victoria, who shares the FAP gene mutation. I’d been an avid cyclist in my late 30-40s until FAP colorectal cancer hit me. This past autumn, I got my courage up, dusted off my beloved 28+ year old bike – which is still a fantastic ride, thank you Giant Bicycles for making such a quality bike! – and pedaled away. I biked with all three of my daughters at different times during their visits home. Talk about joy – I could not wipe the smile off my face and Victoria captured it perfectly. I found I could still ride no-hands which drives my family crazy, threatening not to pick me up when I crash and burn, which I did not. I know everyone’s journey is unique and some hurt more than others and this can limit joy as well as exercise. My wish is that everyone reading this will find something to bring them joy each day. It doesn’t have to be a big event, could be as simple as getting outside for some fresh air and listening to nature and feeling the sun on your face. OK that might be hard for those of us in the Northeast experiencing some cloudy days, but you get my drift!