avatarPatricia Hamlett

Summary

The author finds joy in cherishing family through scrapbooking and international travel, symbolized by refrigerator magnets and coffee mugs from the "Been There Series."

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of keeping joyful elements of life, such as family and travel, visible and present in one's daily environment. The author, an avid scrapbooker, documents family milestones and travels, creating tangible memories that provide ongoing happiness. Living close to grandchildren allows for frequent visits, but photographs and scrapbooks serve as a constant reminder of loved ones. International travel is another source of joy, with souvenirs like magnets and coffee mugs serving as daily prompts for fond memories. The author advocates for the simple pleasures in life, suggesting that they are the true source of joy and contentment.

Opinions

  • The author believes in the power of visibility for objects of joy, such as family photos and travel souvenirs, to enhance daily happiness.
  • Scrapbooking is highly valued by the author as a means of preserving and reliving joyous moments and events.
  • Proximity to family is important, but the author finds that visual reminders like photographs and scrapbooks are equally vital for maintaining a sense of closeness.
  • The author enjoys collecting tangible items from travels, like magnets and mugs, which serve as prompts for cherished memories and experiences.
  • The author suggests that everyday simple things are often the greatest sources of joy in life.
  • The author feels that sharing the hobby of scrapbooking with others, such as young women in Cairo, can spread joy and create a lasting impact.

What Brings You Joy?

Keep those things or people front and center.

Grandkids at Disney World 2016 — Photo by Author

Years ago, I read that you should keep the things you love and treasure the most visible to you. They will bring you joy and continue to remind you of happier times. I subscribe to this theory, which has kept JOY in my life.

So, what are the two things that bring me the most joy? My Family and International Travel. I have five grandchildren that we spend as much time with as possible. When we retired, we downsized and moved to a city that put us close to both sets of grandkids.

However, being close isn’t the same as being there. So, pictures are the next best thing (that and Facetime, of course). I would never be satisfied pulling my cell phone out and scrolling through pictures when I wanted to see my grandkids.

Scrapbook Cover — Photo by Author

My First Joy- Family

I am an avid scrapbooker and have scrapbooks of family vacations, holidays, birthdays, etc. I’ve made scrapbooks of individual trips, my husband’s 50th Birthday, and one entitled: Life After Fifty. This scrapbook highlights the unique adventures and events that happened after age fifty. Examples: My husband went skydiving for the first time, and I did the zip line through the Costa Rican Rain Forest above the canopy.

Scrapbook Cover — Photo by Author

I can’t begin to tell you the joy I get when I sit occasionally and look back at these memories. I’ve also seen that same joy on my husband’s face, my daughter when she looks back at her teen birthday photos, Girl Scout scrapbooks, or my grandchildren, who each have their albums. The albums are displayed on the first shelf of our bookcase in the loft. That is where we go to relax, read, or watch TV. So, it is very convenient to reach over, pick up one of many memory books, and take a walk down memory lane. They are looked at constantly.

Photo by Author

Special Note: I introduced/taught very young ladies in Cairo, Egypt, how to scrapbook during the three years I lived there. Now they print pictures regularly (not just keep them on their cell phones) and scrapbook or make large wall collages of their photos which they say they LOVE to look at!

My Second Joy — International Travel

In addition to scrapbooks, we purchase refrigerator magnets when we travel. We have magnets from our international travels on the front of the refrigerator. I have traveled to all but two of the places on display. My husband accompanied his special needs nephew on a trip to Japan because he could only attend if he had a personal chaperone for the trip. Next, my daughter traveled to Haiti in college on a mission trip. The side has magnets from domestic trips.

Photo by Author
Photo by Author

Starbucks has a “Mug” series entitled: Been There Series. My husband is a coffee drinker and now collects coffee mugs from our international travels. Some mornings I will hear him say, “Where do I want to be today?” He then selects the mug from that country. He often mentions some fun memory from that trip. They also have mugs for each of the fifty states in the US.

Photo by Author

This may sound like very simple advice. But the simple, everyday things in life give us the most joy.

“No man is a failure who is enjoying life.”

William Feather

Inspiration
Self Love
Family
Advice
Self Improvement
Recommended from ReadMedium