12 December – Finding Joy

“I bought myself a Christmas present!”

My colleague stopped me in clinic today. She did that half-embarassed look. You know that look. That look we all have when we’ve indulged in something and feel a bit guilty about it – but maybe not THAT guilty.

My colleague is quite the foodie, and she’d bought a gadget for making a signature Christmas dessert next level.

But as she started to talk – In her mind, she already knew exactly how she was going to present this with a big reveal at the dinner to her family. Her excitement wasn’t about a gadget and, foodie though she is, it wasn’t even really about this dessert… it was about the experience and sharing it with her family.

“It’s not healthy” she says, referring to the dessert.

This was love. This was joy. “It’s joy. Joy is healthy, ” I replied.

Joy is important to health. There is excellent evidence now that our social connectedness, our relationships, and seeking joy for it’s own sake are all important to health.

Find the joy this holiday season. Because if we really think about it – isn’t that the gift we are all hoping for, isn’t it? The one that sparks joy?