We had big dreams. Dreams of traveling the world together. Dreams of going to a Boston Red Sox game and sipping Sam Adams fresh from the brewery. Dreams of building a house together and raising a family. We loved talking about our dreams despite not having the funds to support them.

We had little money and we struggled together. What made that struggle tolerable was our love for each other. We appreciated all the small joys life had to offer.

Cooking together was one of those joys. Between Kevin’s strong desire to throw every seasoning possible in a dish and his sporadic break dancing, our kitchen was always entertaining. I didn’t feel satisfied until he raved about what we cooked. Listening to the sounds of Billie Holiday, Dean Martin and Otis Redding while we ate dinner was an indescribable peace.

Taking long walks with our pups was another joy. The stress of my day melted off my soul with our long walks in the quiet. Having my heart by my side letting me talk about my day, I felt at home. Sometimes we would even stop to play basketball. Let me rephrase that, Kev would shoot and laugh at my attempts to shoot.

Watching a new show on Netflix was another joy. Although a throw down would occur if one person skipped ahead an episode. We so enjoyed getting wrapped up in a good story together. We would predict the characters next move, quote our favorite lines and freak out at shocking twists together.

Driving around while blaring new music Kev found was one of my favorite simple joys. Sometimes it was a new comedian or a podcast. It was our escape from the world. It was simplistic and it was real.

We had next to no money, but we were rich with love and the ability to enjoy life. I am so grateful for these memories and they remind me of the impact of simple joys.

Till Next Time.