My son recently played Destinty Applewhite in the world-premiere stage production of “Surviving the Applewhites,” a play based on Stephanie Tolan’s Newberry Honor Book of the same name. The central question of the story is a simple one: What brings you joy?As patrons entered the theater, ushers offered each a slip of yellow paper to jot down a response to this question. Then, when the play had ended, the responses were displayed in the lobby for all to see. As I perused the collection, the heavily recurring themes of family and hobbies struck me.Noticably absent were mentions of the day job, religious experiences, and school or learning. Maybe this is because the question (and size of the paper) left room for only one response. A more interesting list would have included 3-5 answers from each audience member. Unfortunately, nobody at the theater asked for my input.So I’ll pose the question to you. What brings you joy? Take your time. Give it some thought. Then, when you’re ready, return with a list of 3-5 responses.I’ll go first.

1. Spending unhurried family time with Karen and the kids (Disney vacations, game time, dinner out).
2. Writing and Podcasting.
3. Making sick kids better and easing parental anxiety.
4. The warmth of the sun and smell of the air after a passing Spring shower. Evening insect noise and crackling campfires in Summer. Sweatshirts and the smell of burning leaves in Autumn. Flannel sheets, outdoor hottubs, and big bowels of chili on snowy Winter days. (Okay, so maybe I cheated and squeezed too much into this one. So what?)
5. Pizza and freshly-baked cookies.

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