The day didn’t start with joy, but it certainly ended with joy.

We almost finished the Graph Salad video today, and it was fun working with my son.

Max, Alex, Tom, Evan, Brian and Riley worked very hard to record the video and audio, and Evan and I are still working on the editing.

I’m frantically trying to get this post done, because it’s 12:02am, 1/11!

I kept asking both my boys to spend a day with me individually before they went back to school after winter break.

They never did, so I went to see a movie this afternoon…alone.

It was wonderful!

Can you guess the name of the movie?

Joy.

I disagree with the main character.

Her family was a messed up group of people who treated her like dog crap.

We only have one life. I believe that if a person repeatedly treats me terribly, I believe them, and walk away.

It doesn’t matter to me the title of the person – mother, father, friend, brother, sister, cousin, neighbor, priest, minister, grocer, son, daughter, employer…the list goes on.

The way we treat ourselves is the way we expect others to treat us.

I’m kind to others and myself, and I expect the same for everyone in my life.

Evan spent the night at a friend’s house, and I asked him to come home early so we could work on his project.  I knew it would take several hours.

If he would have come home from his friend’s house before 2pm, we could have finished his project today.  As it is, it’s midnight, and we’re about 3/4 done.

He understands this after sitting at the computer editing audio and video for the past four hours, but he didn’t get shame, or guilt, or anger from me.

This is one of the little things in life, and they’re not worth negative reactions.

I save my reactions for the positive things, like birthdays, personal bests, homecomings, or simply waking up to greet another day.

That’s a time for joy.

​Day 9 of my promise:

  • Walking around the grocery store
  • Buona Notte – Good Night
  • Another podcast

May there be joy in your day, every day!

MKJ