Week Sixty-Five: Unexpected Delight

Walking across Central Park the other morning, I came upon a scene that gave me a chuckle and lifted my spirits. Heavy rain the night before had created some deep puddles, almost pools, along one of the dirt walkways in the park, and a large black Labrador Retriever had thrown himself into one of these pools. He would stand up, turn in a circle, and then flop down into the water on his side, wiggling with delight. No matter how loudly or often his human companion called to him to come, he would stand up, again turn in a circle, and yet again fling himself into the water, continuing to wiggle with the pure joy of being wet. He did this the whole time I walked by and was still at it when I rounded a bend and couldn’t see him anymore.

As I walked by, I noticed how his delight became infectious to each passing person. Smiles erupted all around, as joggers, people walking to work, and other folks with their dogs noticed the antics going on in the pool of water along the side of the walkway. My own smile continued until I got to my office. Even as I recall him, now, a smile plays at the corners of my mouth.

For this week’s experiment, I’d like to invite you to notice how surprisingly delightful moments touch you and those around you, how joy is fundamentally infectious. The experiment is to allow yourself to be touched by the joy of others and notice how that is for you. Also notice where you might ordinarily pass by a scene of delight and pleasure and ignore it, or push it away in some manner. These days, an injection of joy and delight can provide a respite in a world where we cannot know what will happen next, and offers important nourishment to the psyche.

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