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Finding Joy
In a park, by the lake, Ma took a deep breath and smiled
Joy does not require certainty, optimism or resolution. It asks only for attention.
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The writer's mother, using a wheelchair, has learnt to meditate and this has helped her overcome anxiety and left her feeling light-hearted and grateful.
PHOTO: ANTHEA ONG
Anthea Ong
You can’t really say the word “joy” with a grouchy face.
Try it. Your jaw loosens. Your lips curve, almost despite yourself. Something in the body responds before the mind catches up. Which tells me something important: joy is not just an idea or an emotion. It is embodied. Lived. Practised.
