Joy of the Day, Day 38: Fort Ward Park

I’m so appreciative of the nice things folks have said about my little “joy posts”—there is actually additive joy in just knowing that what I write might encourage a heart or brighten a day.

Finding joy in each day, then naming it and writing about it is a powerful, life-giving exercise. Everyone should try it! The posts require a tiny investment of time and energy but yield a disproportionately great reward; writing them keeps my eyes on the prize, even on difficult days.

And today was a little difficult. The video of the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, along with the arrest of the suspects who clearly shot and killed him, hit the mainstream media and the news sent me reeling. How could this happen? Why is this murder, committed on February 23rd, just now surfacing for us to see? How could it take months to make arrests when there is a clear video recording of the crime? It’s impossible to process, let alone make sense of any of it, as I sit here in my cozy quarantine.

On days like this, in particular, it’s important to keep joy at the center—joy can be the axis that anchors my orbit, when the whole world is in utter disarray.

This evening, Stephen, Garner, Charlotte and I strolled to our road end and into Fort Ward Park. The sun, bright and uninterrupted all day, was still shining high over the far-off Olympics, causing the whole landscape to sparkle and glow. It was still warm on the grass, awash in tiny pink and white asters, as we walked to the little bluff overlooking the water, paused for a moment, and took in the stunning clarity of the view from where we were standing.

Today, Fort Ward Park is my joy. #joyinplace