Good Morning Digital Neighbors! Happy Tuesday & New Year Friends & Refuges, Early Birds & Later Dayers, Conversants & Lurkers, Phamily & Misfits, ADD Irregulars, Weird Shit Niche Aficionados and all the rest of you Wanderers, Seekers and Lost on Locals.
A edited reprint from last year, seems fitting as we move into this new year. Enjoy or skip, the choice is in your hands! - Padreš
A BIT OF JOY
Days run into night, night into days;
we adapt, we adjust,
to ever-changing challenges.
A stranger once said to me,
"I pray you find a moment of joy
in each day." That loving bit of wisdom
has inspired me to search for that gleam
of unexpected joy which lifts me up again.
Faith sustains . . .
Family stays close . . .
Friends uphold . . .
Music soothes . . .
Books can bring respite . . .
For all that, I am grateful.
Each may bring that moment
of joy in what may be an
otherwise intense day.
Betty Ann Leavitt
I like Betty's morning sentiments. In particular her list of things; faith, family, friend, music & books. I would add to her list the beauty of nature, endearing pets, and shared laughter among the little things that make each day a reason for gratitude. There so many little things, we each have our own personalized list of things that can be a cause for joy, a springboard for gratitude. I hope you have yours. If you find joy difficult to discover, I hope you meet someone who c an show you the path to joy and how to embrace it more readily each day. Joy doesn't rule out bad moments, experiences or days, but helps to sooth them, transform them and keep us grounded in the midst of them when emotional turbulence and the trials of life would make us lose perspective.
There are many more little things to open up the joy of living in your life if you choose. One either treats life as a gift or a given. Those who see life as a gift respond with gratitude more often than not. Those who see life as a given often give voice to resentment for all that life has failed to delivered. Be a gift receiver rather than a given demander. Happy Tuesday my friends!
And a final note . . .
7 Effective Ways to Make Others Feel Important
1. Use their name.
2. Express sincere gratitude.
3. Do more listening than talking.
4. Talk more about them than about you.
5. Be authentically interested.
6. Be sincere in your praise.
7. Show you care.
ā Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
A winter path - from a Bing search
Today marks the three hundred and thirtieth birthday of the Frenchman FranƧois-Marie Arouet, better known by his nom de plume, Voltaire (1694-1778).
Born into a bourgeois family during the reign of Louis XIV, the āSun Kingā (r. 1643-1715), Voltaire suffered tragedy at a young age when his mother died. Never close with his father or brother, Voltaire exhibited a rebellious attitude toward authority from his youth. His brilliant mind was fostered in the care of the Society of Jesus, who introduced him to the joys of literature and theater. Despite his later criticisms against the Church, Voltaire, throughout his life, fondly recalled his dedicated Jesuit teachers.
Although he spent time as a civil servant in the French embassy to the Hague, Voltaireās main love was writingāan endeavor where he excelled in various genres, including poetry, which led to his appointment as the royal court poet for King Louis XV. Widely recognized as one of the greatest French writers, and even hyperbolically referred to by ...
Padre - Tom Miller invites you to a Coffee Talk, Speakeasies, Schmoozes, Tea Times, Afterhours and other gatherings.
https://teams.live.com/meet/93792382189049?p=DiBHsYfuECPgDrG7vO
2026 Coffee Talk with the ADD Irregulars
Thursday, January 1, 2026
6:00 AM - 8:00 AM (CST)
Occurs every day starting 1/1 until 12/31/2027
Coffee Talk - Daily beginning at 6:00 AM Central Time Zone - USA
White Pilled Wednesday - A break from the heaviness of news and current events to focus upon things more personal & positive for the first hour of Coffee Talk.
Afternoon Chats - Most Tuesday, Friday & Sundays 2:00 PM Central
Other chats as posted in the community.Ā
