Quote #20: Featuring Marilyn Brooks

"My name is Marilyn Brooks. I am a retired educator and dedicated grandmother. I am a member of the Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition. A quote that has meaning for me is “Find joy in the moment.” Five intentionally selected words. “Find” requires a conscious effort to adjust your perspective. We often speak of pursuing happiness, which implies expectations for what will result in happiness and a time frame somewhere in the future. Joy emerges from a spontaneous burst of appreciation or goodwill and settles into a contented mindset. Many days, you have to look for the bits of the present situation that can evoke joy. Often simple, sensory fragments---fresh coffee, a sunrise, birdsong, a piece of chocolate, a gentle breeze –can bring a brief uplift in the day. Seeking joy in the moment allows you to release any expectations or goals and abandon the anticipation of a journey or destination, and simply embrace what is now. I have a dear friend who is bravely facing the narrowing lens of Alzheimer's. We have shared many life experiences in our years together. But as memory clouds, we are learning to love the current minutes for the joy they hold. Recently we saw a movie together. We enjoyed the movie. We talked about it. We laughed about it. We had a lovely afternoon. Two days later, she didn’t remember having seen the film or any of our conversations about it. We now agree that we are not looking to make memories; we are happy to make moments. In those moments, there is joy. Fleeting joy, but rich in real-time. Live in the moment is not a cliché. It’s a practical and satisfying way to create bits of joy while traveling through a complicated life journey. "

Marilyn Brooks