When I look at this photo of little Della, the first word that comes to mind is JOY. A perfect moment of that intense, positive, dreamy emotion.
When I was deep in my postpartum depression, happiness as a concept and goal felt really far away. Would I ever feel happy again? Happiness seemed like an overarching and all-encompassing state of being that was unattainable from the low depths I was currently existing in. Happiness was too big an ask.
But joy... little fleeting moments where for an instant, I felt good? Those felt possible, mostly because they would happen upon me organically instead of me trying to seek them out. A little lightness here and there that eventually helped lift the fog.
If you’re struggling in your pregnancy or postpartum period (or anytime really!), try noticing opportunities for moments of joy rather than trying to force feelings of happiness. Our kids already know this: they feel everything in the present moment. They know that joy one moment and pain the next does not define them in any way or dictate how they will feel in the future. They just feel their feelings and then go on with life open to whatever feelings may come their way.
TELL ME: when was the last time you felt joy and why?
