Savoring Joy

Sharing Stories

December 5, 2022 at 12:43 p.m.

Delicious!!!

...by Ariele M. Huff

Savoring Joy

Last night I had a dream.

First, I met a man, and we immediately fell together like we were perfect for each other. Most of all, we were enjoying that we thoroughly were accepting each other’s imperfections. (Though I didn’t see his face, this part of the dream is just like how my husband and I were and are.) In the dream, I put my face against his neck and really enjoyed how cool and refreshing that felt.

We were in an outdoor place that was kind of rocky and muddy, but some vegetation. In other words, also not perfect, but we were appreciating that too…the breeze, the privacy, and the animals there.

At one point, I discovered that if I simply held my hand out, a pair of glasses would fall into it. Weird, I thought, but cool! When I woke up, I decided the glasses represented a new perspective, and I was being given the choice of more than one.

Next, I found myself in a rather dusty but scenic small Mexican town. (I’ve never been to Mexico, but that’s where my dream mind told me I was.) I wandered the streets, enjoying smiling and nodding to people.

I discovered a small outdoor business—a one-woman store. She was heavy, elderly, and pleasant. I looked through her products, mostly handmade bags and baskets with religious designs on them and some homemade brown hard-candy sticks. I was impressed that she’d turned out so many things to sell.

Then I saw a wonderful juicy orange mango or papaya. I eagerly bought that and stood in her amiable little store savoring every bite as she and I smiled at each other.

As I woke, I could see the theme of all these stories as being the ability to savor joys. In each segment of the dream, finding delight in people, places, and sense experiences was amplified by appreciating how imperfection actually highlighted each person, place, and thing.

I was also reminded of how much savoring something expands the quality of the experience. A spoonful of oatmeal, a wave from a neighbor, the weather in any of its stages. It’s a message that puts perspective on aging. It shows me there are more ways than one to value anything. It redefines “perfection” in a way that offers more comfort, fulfilment, happiness, and joy.

Ariele Huff collects stories and poems for Sharing Stories and Poetry Corner. She creates Writing Corner and many amazon.com books. Ariele leads writing groups as well as lifestyle ones like Ancient Healing Tools for Modern Stress and Processing Loss Workshops.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).
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