Daily Delights

Giving ourselves small delights can keep us in touch with our spiritual self.

While Christmas shopping last year, I happened upon this rubber duck tea strainer and bought it for my own Christmas stocking .  I can’t tell you what a kick I get out of floating a mini-rubber duck in my morning tea!  After a 4-minute swim in my boiled water, I set my duck in her pond holder and my cup of Naughty Vicar is just right! (The London Tea Room has this and other great blends!). 

The sense of delight and joy from such a small (and you might say silly!) thing sets my day on a positive path priming me to notice and appreciate the good things--both large and small--yet to unfold. Sr. Carla Mae Streeter, Professor Emeritus at Aquinas Institute of Theology identifies the first stage of conscious development in babies as wonder--how they follow a mobile or a toy with open fascination. In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus instructs us to "become like a child" (Matthew 18:3). Sr. Carla Mae offers that we need to regain our sense of wonder at the beauty of the created order and the living presence of Christ among us.

If we're not quite ready for wonder and awe, we can start with delight. What gives you a sense of delight, a smile, a moment of joy?  It could be a favorite song, watching birds outside your window, a sleepy hug from your child, a picture on your desk.  I know someone who watches her diet very closely, and she allows herself one piece of Dove dark chocolate in the late afternoon and enjoys every tasty second of it.

For my husband, Dan, it’s a great cup of coffee in the morning made with freshly ground beans.  When he sets up the coffee maker the night before, he often says, “Oooh, I can’t wait to wake up and drink this coffee!” 

That’s delight! And it’s contagious, priming us for a wonder-ful day.