the Empathy List #50: Happy Like Me

Grief and delight coexist.

Hey friend, Liz here.

Feral cats wander across my backyard here in my suburban neighborhood east of Denver, Colorado. One morning, I caught them swinging in our hammock, claws splayed and spitting—one had dropped from a tree into the cloth hammock and it set off at a swing. I couldn’t stop laughing.

Delight has been surprising me lately. For example: did you know Colorado has So. Much. Sunshine? It’s the best kept secret of the west. Yes, there are mountains and blizzards and drought and fire. But also, we have sit-on-the-porch-and-tan winter sun. When I first moved in 2009 to CO in January, I remember thinking, what is this wonderland???

I’m trying to be more observant to my delight. I have multiple “table topic” or “chat pack” games—stacks of cards full of weird and funny questions to ask the people you’ve known forever, so you can keep learning about each other.

Yesterday at dinner, my 9-year-old daughter pulled the card:

“What are five things (NOT PEOPLE) that are making you the most …