Literary Folio Curated by J.L. Scott
The phrase “the joy of motherhood” has become somewhat trite, full of connotations held over from a time when nobody was willing to admit that not all of motherhood is, in fact, joyful. I started to wonder where the joy in being a mother actually is. We all, of course, love our kiddos, but to find true joy in all the muck of school and athletics and doctors’ appointments and diaper changes and meltdowns? That I wondered about. Looking at my own life, I started to see a pattern. Yes, there were the big achievements: first goal in soccer, passing the big test at school, family trips to the beach. But it wasn’t in those big events that I found real joy, it was in the little things. I find true joy, encompassing and fulfilling, in the small moments that are sprinkled throughout our days and weeks: snuggling in bed after story time at night, sharing a secret bowl of ice cream with the teenager after the “little kid” has gone to bed, exploring the flowers bursting through the dirt at the park in early spring, that first giggle after dealing with the emotional meltdown. I knew others found joy in those little things as well, and here I’ve collected some of those moments which I hope remind you of all the joyful little things in your own life.– J.L. Scott