2024: A Year of Delight in Small Things
First, and most importantly, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Of course, we all know, it’s really just another day, the “year” concept being an arbitrary construction of our brain’s need for order. But, hey: “Just another day?” Maybe there’s no such thing. Not “just another day,” but HOLY S___!, WE GET ANOTHER DAY!!!!
2023 has not been my best year. And yet, as I’ve said countless times, I’m not dead yet. I said that as a joke initially, but as time went on I learned to appreciate it for what it really is: A privilege and an honor to wake up every morning, in a life where I am not homeless, starving, or under siege.
That’s my commitment for the New Year, to savor and delight in all that I have. Not just today, or even every morning when I write in my gratitude journal, but moment by moment.
I’m inspired by Ross Gay’s book, The Book of Delights, in which the award-winning poet inspires us to inhale the small and wondrous things which surround us. My list is endless. The scent of Skip’s paws. The velvet soft fur between Maggie’s eyebrows. The blue of Jim’s eyes. The white, orange, and yellow colors of the supplements I take. (Admittedly, the sheer quantity of them makes that a push.)
But, then. There’s the brilliant writing in my new favorite novelist’s book: Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River. The green shoots of tulips coming up in the bulb garden sitting on our dining room table from White Flower Farm. Skip standing on his hind legs, unable to contain his excitement, as I open the door on the way to the sheep.
As I said, the list is endless. Ross Gay suggests calling out DELIGHT! to friends or to yourself when something strikes you, as a way to entrain appreciation in the small wonders of the world. What a wonderful thing to do.
This will not save the earth, end wars, feed the starving, or rescue the suffering, no matter the species. We are all called to do what we can, no matter how small, to right the wrongs of the world. We must, simply must, if we are at all able, do something to try to help others on a regular basis. But that doesn’t mean it is wrong to savor what is good, not just the tiny things, but especially the tiny things. To buoy ourselves up lest we get pulled down by the riptide of all that is wrong.
Last year my New Year’s post focused on how I wanted to feel in 2023, not so much what I wanted to accomplish. I still love that perspective. Here’s what I wanted: To feel Loved and Loving. Amused. Curious. Delighted. Awed.
And, Energetic.
Whoops, said the woman who developed Epstein Barr-related Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in early 2023, along with a boring bunch of other stuff. Ah, the irony. But hey, five out of six isn’t bad.
And all the more reason to learn to savor what we do have, no matter how inconsequential it might seem at the time. You never know.
So. DELIGHT is my Word, my Feeling, and my To Do list for 2024. I hope you also find much to delight in. Look around–what about right now?
MEANWHILE, back to the farm: Jim, Maggie, Skip, and I wish you a Happy New Year, as safe and loved as Maggie is here, in our tiny, but cozy, farmhouse living room. Maggie’s 11th birthday is January 3rd. There will be ice cream.
Reality check: The small table on the left of the couch contains two African Violets (one, from friend Donna’s mother Rose, might almost be as old as I am.) Although the living room had just been dusted and vacuumed for company, the dog hairs decorating the plants never fail to disappear, no matter how painstakingly I try to pick them off. I am reminded of that great quote I posted a while ago from FB: “#1 Reason the house is dirty: The dogs are alive.”
Here’s something to delight in: We warmed our hearts on the Solstice while enjoying the bonfire at Mazomanie’s Wolf Run Trail, one of our favorite local walks.
This gorgeous puzzle from eeBoo was a Christmas present from dear friends, D & J. It brought a disproportionate amount of joy into our household–the colorful addition to our dining room made me happy for the entire two days that it was out. (Only 500 pieces, but, honestly, it was delightful to have something so enjoyable accomplished.
So much to delight in! Let’s celebrate as a Village and call out DELIGHT! here, and DELIGHT! there. No matter how small. Perhaps, even, the smaller the better? You, dear Village, are one of my favorite delights of all. Not small, but truly precious. I wish you so many good things this year. Thank you for being here.
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About the Author
Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years. She encourages your participation, believing that your voice adds greatly to its value. She enjoys reading every comment, and adds her own responses when she can.
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Patricia is known the world over for her clear and engaging books and DVDs on dog training and canine behavior problems. You can also “meet” Patricia in person on her seminar DVDs, from The Art & Science of Canine Behavior to Treating Dog-Dog Reactivity.
Oh how I love to be introduced to new-to-me authors! I’ve put all Lawhon’s audiobooks available through my library system on hold and look forward to experiencing her writing. Happy New Year to my favorite dog expert!
Happy New Year back Michelle, cross your paws for my novel finding a publisher!
Happy New Year Trisha!
And a very happy birthday to Maggie.
I needed this post. I was just about to go down a ‘Woe is me’ black hole, but now I don’t feel quite as despondent.
Wishing everyone a lucky and healthy 2024!
After looking at her book descriptions, I’m tickled to discover Ariel Lawhon – thanks for that. That puzzle is so delightful I could hang it on my wall for a daily energy boost.
Thank you for all you give the world. Happy New Year and Happy Birthday to Maggie!
Each time I see the words New Post from The Other End of the Leash:
DELIGHT!
I am looking forward to this year with hope it will be filled with kindness and civility.
Betsy: Awwww! Made my heart all gooey.
Oh, thank you for this. If I remember nothing else ever, it will be this:
Although the living room had just been dusted and vacuumed for company, the dog hairs decorating the plants never fail to disappear, no matter how painstakingly I try to pick them off. “#1 Reason the house is dirty: The dogs are alive.”
Happy New Year! And Happy Birthday Maggie <3
Happy New Year! Just finished reading your post and started getting dressed to walk the dogs. Reminded of one of my favorite little delights, and to quote my daughter from years ago, “Putting on New Brand Socks”
…..and Waylon and I are out the door! I’ll be back in bit to walk Murphee.
Bill L: I will always remember “new brand socks” from now on. What a delightful gift!
Happy new year and here’s hoping for a better one that 2023 all round. At the moment, dry water is top of my wish list – we are onto our third month of rain every day with about 4 that were dry and they weren’t consecutive.
Even the dog is getting fed up with mud now.
Charlotte: I sympathize. Lordy, three months of rain every day? Good god, I’d be licking my paws. Here’s hoping for some sun soon.
Thank you for being here as well! Happy New Year! I love the idea of Delight!, it is how I plan to navigate 2024. Your grateful heart is felt.
Delight is a beautiful and refreshing word. I’ll use it often and think of you. Often times get tough and finding just st the right word to reverse into light is a blessing. Taking daily care of my 90 year old mom has been a constant but now I’ll say delight to enjoy the moments I have with her. I know it’s not easy to be in her skin to feel the days not so wonderful. Maybe my taking delight in her time with me will fill her with joy. That’s my goal for this year! May you delight in every moment as well.
Anne J: Been there with Jim’s mom. It’s rough, truly rough. On everyone. May you have as much delight as possible!
Happy New Year and happy birthday to Maggie!
I just finished reading The Frozen River, she is a new author for me and I loved her book and recommended it to my friends.
Thank so much for your newsletter and I’m looking forward to your new book.
Happy New Year, Trish, to you, Jim, Maggie, and Skip! Sunshine for a wake up call is a good first delight!
Don’t know what this says about those of us dog lovers, but when I looked at the violet picture, all I saw was the wonderful blue of the flowers! This dispite your mentioning the collie hair! Note to self: put the unavoidable messiness aside and focus on the beauty.
Barb S: Love your focus on the blue–it IS a gorgeous color, isn’t it!
Having breakfast this morning with my six adorable little finches, four Societies and two Owls. Happy, curious and very busy little birds, they bring joy and delight every day, all day. And yes, my little Chi/Jack rescue brings delight too, in a more challenging sort of way.
A Blessed 2024 to you and the Village !!!
MaryAnn: Two owls? Tell me more! I just added a Saw-whet owl into my novel.
Happy New Year! I was just introduced to your work about a month ago by a wonderful young trainer helping me with our 5-month-old Wheaten puppy. I’ve already read 2 of your books! She knew I would enjoy your work with dogs and people. I’ve loved dogs for all of my 58 years but was missing vital information. Our 13-year-old dog and I communicate well because we fumbled along until we figured it out. I suspect this little one will have an easier time thanks to you and our insightful trainer. But I think sometimes the best trainers of all are the dogs themselves – showing us to stop along the way, take a deep breathe in, look around and take stock in just how good life can be if we let it. Thanks for the work you do!
Welcome Kelly!
The dog hairs on your African violets…DELIGHT!
Beth, ha! re the dog hairs and delight! Perfect.
Thank for this lovely reminder to take delight in the world around us. When I saw the photo of your living room, I was immediately struck by how clean and tidy it was. Thankfully you shared the photo of the dog hair on the African violets, and I was reminded of the quote, “If you can’t stand the dog hair, get out of the kitchen.”
Yeah, clean and tidy only because company was coming, Gail. That’s why I took a photo, it rarely looks like that!
Love this New Year’s post…gives me hope for days ahead! We are still getting to know our rescue dog (10/21/23) Scamp.
Carol: Good luck with Scamp! Great name…
What outstanding advice for ‘savoring and delighting in all that I have.’ Wishing you much in the way of both in 2024. And may you experience good health this year.
P.S. Is there anything more cheerful than an African Violet in bloom in the dead of winter? So pretty.
In the last year, my friends Franklin the basset and the Mighty Mighty Max, a rescued sharpei, have both gone on without me. Now my little TigerDog, ever-present protector, is picking up speed down that road too. I both laughed and cried as I read “#1 Reason the house is dirty: The dogs are alive.” How true, how sadly and gloriously true. Thank you.
Oh Beth, we’re with you on this journey. I’ll howl up the hill for Franklin and Mighty Max. And TigerDog too. Hugs.
Two Owl FINCHES. Adorable and very busy. Saw-whets are indeed cute, but not in the kitchen.
Owl finches! I am looking them up!
I just finished Frozen River yesterday. I listened to the audio version and it was so well narrated/performed by Jane Oppenheimer. I’ve already checked out another book by Ariel. And now I’m listening to Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese. And dog hair – omg, all my knitting yarn is festooned with mad amounts of dog and cat hair. Not sure that’s what people mean when they say they knit with dog hair lol
What a beautiful post! It brought to mind one of my favourite books “Hardwiring Happiness” and the mantra I set for myself when I turned 70:
Live the next 20 years in peace … with appreciation of every day and the grace and fortitude to navigate difficult times.
Congratulations on making it through 2023! Love the focus on delight, and love Ross Gay’s writing. If you get a chance to listen, Parker Palmer and Carrie Newcomer did a wonderful interview with him on their podcast The Growing Edge.
https://www.newcomerpalmer.com/episodes/episode-28-a-reason-for-delight-a-conversation-with-poet-ross-gay
Thank you for the wonderful post about the little things! I will send you healing and good energy, and add you to our next Reiki share.
Also, thank you for some new authors to check out!
Looking forward to a wonderful year!
Happy New Year to you and this entire village! Love this post! Delight! Absolutely!
I’m with Betsy – see new post from Other End of the Leash in my inbox = Delight!
Happy New Year and special snuggles for the birthday girl 🙂
I will echo Betsy and Amy – I too am SO delighted when I see you in my emails!! It’s always an immediate click to open and read!!
Thank you for the reminder to appreciate the many delights that are around us every day. It certainly is a great way to start the new year!!
I too am adding Ariel Lawhorn to my reading list – thank you for the recommendation!
Wishing you a 2024 that brings you some relief of your Chronic Fatigue – I did not realize that it could develop from Epstein Barr.
After every post as I read the comments I am struck at how many lives you and your books have touched – what an amazing feeling it must be for you to know you’ve made such an impact in so many lives – human and animals!! So awesome!!
I try to do the same thing. I call it a moment of joy…an egret, a camelia blooming, a lunch with a friend, taming a feral kitty. Doesn’t save me from depression, but helps. Happy New Year.
Thanks Trisha for this beautiful hopeful message. I love your words and appreciate your reading suggestions! One of
my favorite authors Louise Penny has a phrase that inspires me this year: “surprised by Joy”. I hope for this for all of us. Happy New Year!
I didn’t read all the comments, but soft paint brush is great for dusting off leaves of African Violets, or other fuzzy leafed plants…of course use it dry..
DELIGHT! I’ve just recently discovered your blog—by way of being a Good Human for my Dogs—and I am delighted by your prose, thoughtfulness, and humour. Happy new year, how lucky we are to get another.
Welcome Brianna! What a delight to have you!
Happy New Year to all of your dog and human family!
I am halfway through The Frozen River, and it’s wonderful.
Wishing you a better year and good luck with your novel.
I, too, have been thinking of delight! I heard an interview with Ross Gay last week and it was incredibly moving. I’m looking forward to reading and delighting in more of his work. 2023 wasn’t exactly my year, as we lost our young dog to osteosarcoma, but walking him through that experience was a bittersweet reminder to focus on quality of life over quantity. The wisdom I found in your books contributed greatly to the happiness we had together in his short life. Thank you, and happy, delightful new year to you.
I enjoyed reading your books in the past. My senior adopted husky died at 16 four years ago and 2 weeks ago I adopted a 9 1/2 year old border collie/aussie. We were told she was okay with cats but has been terrorizing our 11 & 1 year old kitties. We are working on getting them acquainted but not having much success. She is also very reactive to dogs going by the house but is getting better. I’m trying to find a trainer but no luck so far. A calming collar for her has been suggested. Have you ever used one?