I thought life was a play,
with the script composed
for the role I was to inhabit.
Designated stage directions
were set for me to follow
for my life to work out seamlessly.
All that was required was for me to
hit my assigned marks:
education, career, marriage, children,
for the production to be a success.
But others refused to
perform their parts,
changing the scene,
or departing before the play was finished,
leaving me floundering
on the boards, alone.
It took time for me to realize
that life had always been improv:
unscripted, hard turns, unpredictable.
I never had control of the narrative,
which caused needless suffering
in the light of the pain that is a part of existing.
Until I let go of demanding that my life
followed a script was I truly free
to find joy in the unknowing.
It taught me that every moment
was saying “yes, and” to whatever entered my life.
Category: Finding Joy
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Life’s Unscripted Journey
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The Power of Tiny Little Joys
Inspired by Mary Catherine McDonald, PhD
The trials of this world
and the grief that it leaves in its wake
often blots out the beauty that still exists.
But joy can still be found in the simple moments of the day.
A bunny hopping across the backyard in search of food.
The hummingbird as it flutters from flower to flower.
Cumulus clouds painted pink at the close of the day.
The voice of a friend who lives far away,
but feels like she is just around the corner as you talk on the phone.
Walking into a meeting and feeling loved
by those who are on the same journey that you are on.
Finding a good book at the library,
and then curling up in bed to read it.
The sweet taste of your favorite
homemade ice cream, refreshing on a hot summer day.
Listening to a podcast that makes you laugh.
Discovering that you can be a part of an improv group,
where you can play and be a part of a community.
These moments might seem minor
in the face of the atrocities that are taking place in the world,
but they give us the resilience to continue on life’s path.
Beautiful Bittersweet Life Poems 