Nadine J Walters – My Life

Question for me today: What is bringing you joy?

My answer: A little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Right now, I’m sitting here watching Andy take a nap. I just finished teaching a yoga class, had some lunch, and put on a Netflix documentary about models. The documentary itself isn’t bringing me joy—but everything else is. I’m home, and that brings me joy. I have no financial worries, and that brings me joy. I’m healthy, and that brings me joy. Joy doesn’t have to be over the top; sometimes it simply exists.

The funny thing about joy is that it often shows up where you least expect it. It comes in different amounts—sometimes creeping in quietly, other times rushing in so fast it takes your breath away. Joy is simply a really, really good feeling that’s meant to be embraced.

Lately, I’ve found joy in the simplest places and activities. I’ve been painting a lot again—still lifes of fruits and vegetables, landscapes of places I’ve been, and scenes from right here at home. My subjects aren’t glamorous; they’re everyday things I find in my kitchen, on my street, or around the corner from my house. A lemon, a streetlight, construction equipment, a tree—ordinary objects that feel extraordinary when I paint them. Whether the paintings turn out beautifully or not doesn’t matter; they’re mine, and that alone brings me joy.

And then there’s Andy. He brightens my days in ways I never expect. He brings me my shoes when he wants to walk, stands on top of me when he’s looking for love, and insists on going in and out of the house as though it’s his personal mission to keep me from sitting still. But my most joyful moments are the quiet ones—when he’s curled up in my lap, both of us perfectly content.

I’ve realized that my deepest joy comes from within—from slowing down and truly noticing the world around me. Right now, I’m savoring the kind of joy that doesn’t demand anything grand or rare. It’s the quiet joy of being present, of appreciating the small but beautiful pieces of life that surround me every single day.