Tuesday 15 October 2019

Strugglers

It was the morning for our Strugglers meeting this morning.   We meet once a month - have a period of Silence and then discuss whatever comes up.  This morning our main topic sprang from a Lecture one of our group had heard on radio - a talk about Joy and Happiness.   Of how Joy is a momentary thing - a sudden burst - whereas happiness is a state of being which might last much longer if we are lucky enough. 

We could think of all kind of examples of joy - up here in The Dales it is often something as simple as a sudden burst of sunlight across the Dale, lighting up a beautiful tree or view;  or it might be the first view of a new grandchild;  the list is endless.   Happiness, on the other hand, is more of a state maybe when things go right for us and we are going through a good patch in our lives, or when someone whom we love has been ill and is suddenly much better and we are able to pick up the pieces and resume our lives.    We all have our own interpretations - all I can say is the more we have the luckier we are in these dark days.

Real warm sunshine on and off today -not all day but now and then.   Out for lunch to our group lunch at The Old School House (where our U3A meetings are held) - held every fortnight.   Today it was Toad in the Hole with mash and peas, followed by rice pudding - and a nice chat (we never run out of things to talk about).

Time now to take Tess for her last walk - she has been on a long walk with her dog-walker today so will only need a short walk now.   See you tomorrow.

10 comments:

wisps of words said...

Wondering what the Struggler's Meetings are.....? Sounds as if they are for someone, who has had some form of 'trouble' in their lives. A self-help group, perhaps? Or rather, a group-helping-each-other group?

And the lunch and talk, sounds lovely...

🍂🍁🎃🍁🍂

Jules said...

I've never thought of it that way before. I usually think of happiness as being momentary and contentment as longer lasting. However we look at it, joy or happiness, it's a wonderful thing.

JayCee said...

I feel lucky fo experience both joy and happiness frequently, but also frustration and anger. I suppose that is normal.

Heather said...

Your meeting sounds very interesting. I daresay we all have different ideas on joy and happiness. I count myself lucky to have my father's gift on finding joy in simple things and for the love of my children which brings me happiness.

Joanne Noragon said...

A little more sunshine, a little more happiness. Just saying.

angryparsnip said...

I would like to have a Strugglers Meeting where I live.
parsnip

Cro Magnon said...

I am one of those people who was born happy. I wake happy and continue to be so all day, unless some idiot comes along to spoil it for me.

Librarian said...

My basic mindset is one of contentment, happiness (the difference? I agree with Jules' comment) and gratitude. I have so much to be grateful for and happy/content about: My own four walls to live in, plenty of food in the fridge, nice clothes in the wardrobe, a job I like and that pays well enough to afford quite a bit of luxury in my life (such as going on holiday 3 times a year - something I never thought possible!), my parents still alive and relatively well, my sister living nearby, the man I love being in my life, and so on.
Dark days? Yes, unfortunately, that is so. I am one of the luckier ones.

Toad in the hole! I've not had that in a very long time, last in a pub in Helmsley.

the veg artist said...
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The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks everyone. Strugglers is a meeting for friends and we discuss anything which is troubling any of our group - or any national issue - sometimes a subject which one of our members has heard on the radio as is the joy/happiness one.