For Small Joys: Noticing and recording small everyday joys can be an effective tonic in turbulent times, lifting our hearts and spirts. Plus a short list of places to donate or volunteer to help those in crises like the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Cheryl, I wish you could join me on my walks too! (I can't call them hikes with my lungs and heart.) This high-desert landscape is brown and sere now, but still offers many small joys. And I'm going to soak them all in for the next three weeks until I move to a lower elevation in western Colorado, where I'll have a river to walk everyday.
Thank you, Maia! I am living in a whirlwind, but at least I know where I am going, and as I juggle two real estate contracts, I remind myself that I have a home now and will (if all works out) have a good home to move too as well. That's a lot to feel fortunate about.
I don't do well with being uprooted, and especially not at this age. I will be unhoused for a month between transactions, but I have rented a tiny cabin right on the banks of the Uncompahgre River to stay in, so I'm going to consider it a working vacation. Blessings to you!
I think it's so important tone generous with our time and resources when we can. It's the best way to feel less anxious and depressed about the state of the world. Along with noticing small joys every day, that is. And goddess knows, we need all the help we can get these days.... Hugs to you.
I am sorry to hear of your difficulties. I wish you happiness and continued joy in the little things.
As for my connection to Helene, it is mainly my connection to Cedar Key on the Florida Gulf Coast. It was sideswiped by the storm, but heavily damaged by the storm surge. Lynda and I spent our honeymoon there. It was, unfortunately, deteriorating even before Helene due to several major fires on the waterfront. I went back there in 2022 and it was not at all the same.
Rebecca has had some connection to Asheville, NC, so there is a bit of grief over that.
I saw a study that indicated that a sense of wonder in observing nature actually has a positive physical calming effect. We get used to things that surprised us as children, but they are no less wonderful than they were then. As Walt Whitman observed a leaf of grass is no less than the journeywork of the stars!
Thank you, Dave. It is hard to see the places we love go through these catastrophic events, isn't it. And then there's the human side of each tragedy, which is just horrifying.
Thanks for the reminder of Whitman's words. Such deep and inspiring ones, and that's only one line from that very long poem. Whitman endures because he evoked the mystery that is life on earth so well, and our perplexity and wonder at being part of it all.
Thank you as always, Susan, for the beautiful images and photos and for the spiritual strength you always convey, even in the toughest of times. It is always important for us to stop what we are doing and to pay heed to the terrible misfortunes of others which I find are much worse than my own petty complaints.
I think that at this point, stopping to pay heed to others, and to lift each other up is life-saving for us as well as those we help out. It is in community that we find the connections that nurture us all in a world that feels so broken. We can reweave that community only by reaching out to each other, as friends, strangers, lovers... whatever we can do can save the world.
Susan, what a beautiful and uplifting letter. May you find just the right home for yourself soon. I am thinking today of all the miracles around me and the glory that we are as human beings.
Marlena, Mil grácias! I am aware that I am fortunate to be able to move when I need to, and not because my house was destroyed or my town flooded out. I will be returning to Montrose in western Colorado where I used to live, and where I can walk a trail along the Uncompahgre River every day. I think living by a clear mountain river will be a balm. Many blessings to you.
A trying time for so many right now, dear Susan. Moving soon to your new home will take heavy lifting, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Sending much light for your journey.
I am fortunate and grateful that we had no great damage from Helene. Dutchman creek rose up into our back garden until it was over 6 feet deep, coming within feet of the cottage. We were evacuated Fri night, but we were spared.
The devastation is unspeakable in our beautiful mountains. Lives lost heartbreaking. Communities are just gone.
The road back is long and hard.
There are so many in need of help. And people will be generous, I'm sure.
Take good care, my dear. The light is always there when needed.
Oh, Kathleen! I am so glad that you are okay and your creek didn't damage your cottage! And that no trees fell on it. I can only imagine how devastating it is to see the destruction in person, and I am truly grateful that none of my friends were killed, and all still have houses (although one friend in Swannanoa had a huge oak tree fall on one end of her house).
It will be a long and difficult recovery, and of course, much of the re-shaping of creeks and rivers is permanent, but I also know that we humans are resilient, the mountains are resilient, and the community of nature will recover too. In time.
Blessings to you there in that magical, if battered, place!
What a relief to know that it is fine, especially when you are far away! And may it stay safe until you return, despite the lack of power and water. Power may be restored more quickly in most places than water, I'm afraid. This will be a long recovery, as Kathleen and others have noted. And for some, recovery is not possible, I'm afraid.
Thank you for this post, and for the beautiful images. May your transition back to Montrose be more blessing than struggle. I look forward to seeing pictures of your new home, and reports that you are as healthy as possible!
Thank you, Kathryn! I feel good about having a place to land. I'm under contract for the house I want, but I'll be "unhoused" for a little over a month between when the sale of this house closes and when I can move into that one. Fortunately, I've found a tiny cabin on the river I can rent, and it's not a huge deal to move my stuff into storage for that time, so I'm considering the time as a working vacation. If all goes well, I'll be moved in and settled in time for Winter Solstice, and that's important to me. It's my most significant celebration in the wheel of the year. Many blessings to you.
Thank you for your personal update - I am happy to hear you found a place in a geography you love.
Small joys are an important reminder that life really is a daily experience to be savored. The devastation of lives, homes and communities is heart wrenching.
Sue, thank you for those good wishes. This transition has been another lesson in patience and trust--patience with the process and trust in my instincts. You'd think I would have learned both lessons by now, but there are always more nuances to understand. And the small joys practice is part of keeping my balance in this transition and in a turbulent world. Blessings to you and your place above the Gorge!
Thank you for the resources and support of those impacted by the hurricane. And, thank you for affirming, both in the spheres of your own life and our wider community, that small joys are ok, even necessary, to focus on in the midst of trying times.
Melinda, I think that "necessary" is a good word for practices like this. In times that seem so out of kilter and can be so exhausting, if we don't stop to witness and absorb the positive, I'm not sure we'll survive. Many blessings to you.
Thank you for this encouraging post. Connecting with small joys - what a wonderful reminder!
It's been a primary way that I've managed to stay the least bit grounded as I read and see stories and images about my mountain town of Asheville.
Notice those beautiful mosses and the resurrection ferns, I encourage myself. Look at the beautiful bays and the high cliffs in Parc du Bic, here in Quebec. Admire the fall landscape, filled with beautiful reds and yellows. Breathe in.
Donate, donate, donate.
Wishing you all good energy as you find your new home.
Ah, Lisa, how heartbreaking it must be for those who have a heart-connection with the folds and ridges of the Appalachians. Seeing the devastation to people and landscapes is one thing, feeling it is another. I am glad you have a practice of taking in the beauty of the details around you there in Quebec, and that those small joys and vivid colors keep you grounded and at least somewhat assuage the grief. Be gentle on yourself in these times! Blessings.
Susan, feeling the devastation is truly different than seeing it, for sure. Seeing images of places that I know well and love -- so many things gone. Nature will eventually heal the forests and riversides, rebuilding will occur, but as I try to stay present to the beauty of the Northern Appalachians, it's hard not to feel the scope of the disaster always present.
It's true that the devastation will eventually heal, and rebuilding will occur at least in some places. But I think it's the drastic change that is hardest for we humans to deal with. Change may be our only constant in life, but we are contrary and usually prefer things to stay the same. (Not that they ever will.) Blessings to you.
Thinking of you these next weeks as you move your life from one place to another -- a kinder place for breath and heart; a place where I know you're already fluent in the language of green and growing things. I'm grateful for our connection. Grateful for the cooler mornings. Grateful for a journal, a pen and a good cup of tea. And grateful to read your posts and find new and welcoming inspiration. Big hugs.
Stephanie, Thank you for understanding and feeling the "why" of this sudden move. Like you, I find gratitude helps me when my mind spins off on the worry-wheel, when the "what-ifs" overwhelm me. I too am grateful for our connection, and for this generous and warm and inspiring heart-community. And I am grateful that we can listen to each other and uplift each other. What a gift that is, now especially. Hugs back to you.
Sus, Gratitude is one of the great tools in the tool box. Sending love and goodwill to you this day . . . and don't lift anything too heavy! More hugs.
Valerie, What a lovely invitation, and thank you for your thoughtfulness! The Bitterroot Valley is indeed a gorgeous place, and one I've visited many times when I lived at home in northwest Wyoming. The winters there are too cold for me now, I'm afraid. I'm headed for Montrose in western Colorado, midway between the red-rock desert and the San Juan Mountains.
If the altitude in Montrose turns out to still be too much, you might want to consider Central Oregon (Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Sisters). It has a very Colorado-ish feel to it.
Thanks much for the suggestion! I do love that area, and I considered it, but I also want to be where I already have a community of friends to draw on. I'm not keen on starting over entirely at this age!
Thank you for this, Susan. My grandmother used to live at the other end of the Absaroka range in Paradise Valley, near Livingston. They are so beautiful. And Cody, WY, yes. I hope you find just the right place for you (and soon).
Thank you for your good wishes, Emily! The Paradise Valley is gloriously beautiful (and a ridiculously expensive place to live unless you have family there). Cody is not as bad, but much less affordable than it used to be, as with so many mountain towns in the West. But the winters are too bitter for my Raynaud's and while I have dear, longtime friends there, the overall politics are so divisive and difficult. It'll always be the place of my heart, but I can't live there anymore sadly. I'm headed to Montrose in western Colorado. More in the next newsletter. :)
It is incredibly beautiful, and so expensive. I remember when nobody really knew about it, unless you happened to be a Montanan. Things have changed so much (and yes, to divisive politics). I look forward to hearing about Montrose!
When the Church Universal and Triumphant bought the ranch on the west side of the river, I knew that Paradise Valley had (sadly) become a "thing." Now it's the West of billionaires instead of just another gorgeous place.
They're still there on the Royal Teton Ranch by Corwin, as far as I know, heavily fortified as ever. I can't even imagine what their 24,000 acres of Paradise Valley are worth now.
A beautiful post, Susan. I wish I could hike that terrain with you.
Cheryl, I wish you could join me on my walks too! (I can't call them hikes with my lungs and heart.) This high-desert landscape is brown and sere now, but still offers many small joys. And I'm going to soak them all in for the next three weeks until I move to a lower elevation in western Colorado, where I'll have a river to walk everyday.
Beautiful images, Susan! I wish you peace and ease over the next few weeks as you navigate major transition. May the way become clear.
Thank you, Maia! I am living in a whirlwind, but at least I know where I am going, and as I juggle two real estate contracts, I remind myself that I have a home now and will (if all works out) have a good home to move too as well. That's a lot to feel fortunate about.
I’m so glad you have a new home in the works…. be well!
I don't do well with being uprooted, and especially not at this age. I will be unhoused for a month between transactions, but I have rented a tiny cabin right on the banks of the Uncompahgre River to stay in, so I'm going to consider it a working vacation. Blessings to you!
Thank you for the suggestions, both about charitable giving and joys.
I think it's so important tone generous with our time and resources when we can. It's the best way to feel less anxious and depressed about the state of the world. Along with noticing small joys every day, that is. And goddess knows, we need all the help we can get these days.... Hugs to you.
I am sorry to hear of your difficulties. I wish you happiness and continued joy in the little things.
As for my connection to Helene, it is mainly my connection to Cedar Key on the Florida Gulf Coast. It was sideswiped by the storm, but heavily damaged by the storm surge. Lynda and I spent our honeymoon there. It was, unfortunately, deteriorating even before Helene due to several major fires on the waterfront. I went back there in 2022 and it was not at all the same.
Rebecca has had some connection to Asheville, NC, so there is a bit of grief over that.
I saw a study that indicated that a sense of wonder in observing nature actually has a positive physical calming effect. We get used to things that surprised us as children, but they are no less wonderful than they were then. As Walt Whitman observed a leaf of grass is no less than the journeywork of the stars!
My best wishes on you move.
Dave
Thank you, Dave. It is hard to see the places we love go through these catastrophic events, isn't it. And then there's the human side of each tragedy, which is just horrifying.
Thanks for the reminder of Whitman's words. Such deep and inspiring ones, and that's only one line from that very long poem. Whitman endures because he evoked the mystery that is life on earth so well, and our perplexity and wonder at being part of it all.
Such a lovely tiny flower, Susan. I hope you find your heart's and lungs' rest. Let us know. You are ever in our hearts.
Julie and Gerry
Thank you, Dear Friend! I'm moving to western Colorado, and expect to be able to recover there over time. Hugs to you and Gerry!
Thank you as always, Susan, for the beautiful images and photos and for the spiritual strength you always convey, even in the toughest of times. It is always important for us to stop what we are doing and to pay heed to the terrible misfortunes of others which I find are much worse than my own petty complaints.
I think that at this point, stopping to pay heed to others, and to lift each other up is life-saving for us as well as those we help out. It is in community that we find the connections that nurture us all in a world that feels so broken. We can reweave that community only by reaching out to each other, as friends, strangers, lovers... whatever we can do can save the world.
Susan, what a beautiful and uplifting letter. May you find just the right home for yourself soon. I am thinking today of all the miracles around me and the glory that we are as human beings.
I just realized that you have found a home in Colorado! May the transition be as smooth as can be.
Marlena, Mil grácias! I am aware that I am fortunate to be able to move when I need to, and not because my house was destroyed or my town flooded out. I will be returning to Montrose in western Colorado where I used to live, and where I can walk a trail along the Uncompahgre River every day. I think living by a clear mountain river will be a balm. Many blessings to you.
A trying time for so many right now, dear Susan. Moving soon to your new home will take heavy lifting, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Sending much light for your journey.
I am fortunate and grateful that we had no great damage from Helene. Dutchman creek rose up into our back garden until it was over 6 feet deep, coming within feet of the cottage. We were evacuated Fri night, but we were spared.
The devastation is unspeakable in our beautiful mountains. Lives lost heartbreaking. Communities are just gone.
The road back is long and hard.
There are so many in need of help. And people will be generous, I'm sure.
Take good care, my dear. The light is always there when needed.
Kathleen
Oh, Kathleen! I am so glad that you are okay and your creek didn't damage your cottage! And that no trees fell on it. I can only imagine how devastating it is to see the destruction in person, and I am truly grateful that none of my friends were killed, and all still have houses (although one friend in Swannanoa had a huge oak tree fall on one end of her house).
It will be a long and difficult recovery, and of course, much of the re-shaping of creeks and rivers is permanent, but I also know that we humans are resilient, the mountains are resilient, and the community of nature will recover too. In time.
Blessings to you there in that magical, if battered, place!
We are so thankful that our house in Asheville is fine, as it's high above the river. Currently no power or water (true for most of the region).
What a relief to know that it is fine, especially when you are far away! And may it stay safe until you return, despite the lack of power and water. Power may be restored more quickly in most places than water, I'm afraid. This will be a long recovery, as Kathleen and others have noted. And for some, recovery is not possible, I'm afraid.
Thank you for this post, and for the beautiful images. May your transition back to Montrose be more blessing than struggle. I look forward to seeing pictures of your new home, and reports that you are as healthy as possible!
Thank you, Kathryn! I feel good about having a place to land. I'm under contract for the house I want, but I'll be "unhoused" for a little over a month between when the sale of this house closes and when I can move into that one. Fortunately, I've found a tiny cabin on the river I can rent, and it's not a huge deal to move my stuff into storage for that time, so I'm considering the time as a working vacation. If all goes well, I'll be moved in and settled in time for Winter Solstice, and that's important to me. It's my most significant celebration in the wheel of the year. Many blessings to you.
Thank you for your personal update - I am happy to hear you found a place in a geography you love.
Small joys are an important reminder that life really is a daily experience to be savored. The devastation of lives, homes and communities is heart wrenching.
Wishing you a smooth transistion.
Sue, thank you for those good wishes. This transition has been another lesson in patience and trust--patience with the process and trust in my instincts. You'd think I would have learned both lessons by now, but there are always more nuances to understand. And the small joys practice is part of keeping my balance in this transition and in a turbulent world. Blessings to you and your place above the Gorge!
Thank you for the resources and support of those impacted by the hurricane. And, thank you for affirming, both in the spheres of your own life and our wider community, that small joys are ok, even necessary, to focus on in the midst of trying times.
Melinda, I think that "necessary" is a good word for practices like this. In times that seem so out of kilter and can be so exhausting, if we don't stop to witness and absorb the positive, I'm not sure we'll survive. Many blessings to you.
Thank you for this encouraging post. Connecting with small joys - what a wonderful reminder!
It's been a primary way that I've managed to stay the least bit grounded as I read and see stories and images about my mountain town of Asheville.
Notice those beautiful mosses and the resurrection ferns, I encourage myself. Look at the beautiful bays and the high cliffs in Parc du Bic, here in Quebec. Admire the fall landscape, filled with beautiful reds and yellows. Breathe in.
Donate, donate, donate.
Wishing you all good energy as you find your new home.
Ah, Lisa, how heartbreaking it must be for those who have a heart-connection with the folds and ridges of the Appalachians. Seeing the devastation to people and landscapes is one thing, feeling it is another. I am glad you have a practice of taking in the beauty of the details around you there in Quebec, and that those small joys and vivid colors keep you grounded and at least somewhat assuage the grief. Be gentle on yourself in these times! Blessings.
Susan, feeling the devastation is truly different than seeing it, for sure. Seeing images of places that I know well and love -- so many things gone. Nature will eventually heal the forests and riversides, rebuilding will occur, but as I try to stay present to the beauty of the Northern Appalachians, it's hard not to feel the scope of the disaster always present.
Thanks for your kind words.
It's true that the devastation will eventually heal, and rebuilding will occur at least in some places. But I think it's the drastic change that is hardest for we humans to deal with. Change may be our only constant in life, but we are contrary and usually prefer things to stay the same. (Not that they ever will.) Blessings to you.
Thinking of you these next weeks as you move your life from one place to another -- a kinder place for breath and heart; a place where I know you're already fluent in the language of green and growing things. I'm grateful for our connection. Grateful for the cooler mornings. Grateful for a journal, a pen and a good cup of tea. And grateful to read your posts and find new and welcoming inspiration. Big hugs.
Stephanie, Thank you for understanding and feeling the "why" of this sudden move. Like you, I find gratitude helps me when my mind spins off on the worry-wheel, when the "what-ifs" overwhelm me. I too am grateful for our connection, and for this generous and warm and inspiring heart-community. And I am grateful that we can listen to each other and uplift each other. What a gift that is, now especially. Hugs back to you.
Sus, Gratitude is one of the great tools in the tool box. Sending love and goodwill to you this day . . . and don't lift anything too heavy! More hugs.
Hi Susan
I don’t know if you have been here-consider moving to Bitterroot Valley in western Montana.
We have mountains, rivers, creeks, horses, and sagebrush galore!
Valerie, What a lovely invitation, and thank you for your thoughtfulness! The Bitterroot Valley is indeed a gorgeous place, and one I've visited many times when I lived at home in northwest Wyoming. The winters there are too cold for me now, I'm afraid. I'm headed for Montrose in western Colorado, midway between the red-rock desert and the San Juan Mountains.
If the altitude in Montrose turns out to still be too much, you might want to consider Central Oregon (Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Sisters). It has a very Colorado-ish feel to it.
Thanks much for the suggestion! I do love that area, and I considered it, but I also want to be where I already have a community of friends to draw on. I'm not keen on starting over entirely at this age!
Thank you for this, Susan. My grandmother used to live at the other end of the Absaroka range in Paradise Valley, near Livingston. They are so beautiful. And Cody, WY, yes. I hope you find just the right place for you (and soon).
Thank you for your good wishes, Emily! The Paradise Valley is gloriously beautiful (and a ridiculously expensive place to live unless you have family there). Cody is not as bad, but much less affordable than it used to be, as with so many mountain towns in the West. But the winters are too bitter for my Raynaud's and while I have dear, longtime friends there, the overall politics are so divisive and difficult. It'll always be the place of my heart, but I can't live there anymore sadly. I'm headed to Montrose in western Colorado. More in the next newsletter. :)
It is incredibly beautiful, and so expensive. I remember when nobody really knew about it, unless you happened to be a Montanan. Things have changed so much (and yes, to divisive politics). I look forward to hearing about Montrose!
When the Church Universal and Triumphant bought the ranch on the west side of the river, I knew that Paradise Valley had (sadly) become a "thing." Now it's the West of billionaires instead of just another gorgeous place.
Yes! So true. And I’d for forgotten about the “church!”
They're still there on the Royal Teton Ranch by Corwin, as far as I know, heavily fortified as ever. I can't even imagine what their 24,000 acres of Paradise Valley are worth now.
I know!😳
The small joys are really the largest.
I think that's true, if not intuitive. :)