Joy is where you are

“Our hearts already hold everything we need to be happy.”

-- Taro Gold in

“Living Wabi Sabi”

The large lemon yellow orb slipped beneath the western bank of clouds at the horizon as we drove back into town. After days of glorious sunshine, clear water and blue skies down in Baja, our trip home had been rainy and windy, with the pounding of heavy surf off the coast. It was good to see just that moment of light and blue sky behind cloud at sunset. I felt the joy of a good trip and a good coming home blend in the moment.

Now, the many loads of laundry have been done. The car is unloaded and camping gear is strewn about, ready to be cleaned and put away. The kayak is off the car. The flat tire I discovered this morning is changed and will soon be taken for repair. We have checked in with family members, found some some good news and some not so good. Yet with all this and more spread out in front of me, on this third day of the new year, I simply feel joyful and blessed.

When Victor from Pacific Towing came to change my tire, we spoke of many things, of his 10 years in this country and of what that had meant. I could not help but feel grateful that my family had not needed to suffer the pangs of relocation that his had. Still, I got the sense that he felt blessed as well.

Mama Rosa’s large family at Playa Perla on Bahia de Concepcion all worked hard and had little by our standards, and yet they passed their days with joy and many blessings. Yolanda, who brought our camp fresh-cooked empanadas and tamales, ice, water and fresh vegetables on so many of our days in Baja, clearly had a good heart and was an enterprising and hard worker. Joy shone on her face as well.

The bent, gray man, skin browned dark by the sun, lived in squalid conditions. His gap-toothed smile as he collected our aluminum cans was radiant. It seemed he knew the same joy that I do.

It seems plain to me that joy has no real connection to the stuff that we have or our place in the world. But do some folks just have it and some not? Can it be acquired? Or learned? I ponder these questions and arrive at no answers. I do not know from where joy comes. I saw it in the above-mentioned folks and in others. I felt it myself as I floated on clear blue-green waters, a cool breeze on my face, the sun warming my skin. I feel it, too, when hard at work. Sometimes it even shows up in the midst of sorrow. It seems complex, but maybe it’s simple.

I was introduced to the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi years ago by my friend Cathy. Then, just this past fall, I came across the book, “Living Wabi Sabi” by Taro Gold, in a bookstore in Port Townsend, Wash. It is a book of “easy, practical advice to create the joyful life of our dreams.” It is a tool. Perhaps joy can be learned with practice.

I certainly agree with Gold’s honorary Obaa-san when she says, “Life is perfectly imperfect. When you embrace the whole of your life and recognize the value of every aspect ... then the very imperfections that once diminished your happiness can become sources of insight and strength.”

As I set my own sights for 2006 on embracing enjoyment and exploration, as I let go of irritation and narrow boundaries, I invite you each to explore for yourself what it is for you to be joyful. As the concept of wabi-sabi suggests, embrace each moment for what it is, make the most of it, and move on, learning all the while. I think that is what joyful people in all walks of life do. It could be worth a try.

Whether the yellow orb at the end of a storm of destruction or the glorious mango sunset of this third day of the year, I feel blessed. Whether in an e-mail note from a friend or a call from a daughter in New York or the helpfulness of another, joy is everywhere. I am grateful.

I wish you all the blessings of a joy-filled life, wherever you are and whatever befalls you. Happy New Year!

* Cherril Doty is a creative life coach and artist, exploring the mysteries of life as they come. You can reach her by e-mail at cherril@cherrildoty.com or by calling (949) 251-3883.

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