Innehållsförteckning för Winter 2021 från O, Quarterly

DROPLET ADAPTOGEN DRINK This sparkling beverage is infused with adaptogens, plant compounds purported to help the body counteract stress, plus fruit puree and a little coconut nectar for sweetness. For a refreshing sip, try the yuzu-and-ginger option. ($20 for three; drinkdroplet.com) OLIPOP SPARKLING TONIC Each can supplies 9 grams of plant fiber (more than a third of an adult woman’s goal for the day). Fruit juice, natural flavors, and Stevia give each variety, including Vintage Cola and Classic Grape, a can’tbelieve-it’s-not-soda taste. ($36 for 12; drinkolipop.com) HEYWELL SPARKLING ADAPTOGENIC WATER The Energy + Focus option combines vitamins C and B12, adaptogenic ashwagandha, and a shot of caffeine equal to a small cup of coffee in a strawberry lemon flavor. A can has just 10 calories and 1 gram of sugar.…

AS A BLACK SKINCARE professional who treats mostly Black women, I understand the reluctance to try certain cosmetic procedures. There’s still an assumption that darker skin is impervious to aging, which may be one reason we don’t pursue these treatments. But there are others: Traditionally, chemical peels and lasers were viewed as unsuitable for darker skin tones, which are more at risk for scarring or hyperpigmentation. Add in a lack of diversity among both practitioners and in clinical texts (only about 3 percent of practicing dermatologists are Black, and a 2020 survey of medical textbooks revealed that an abysmal 4.5 percent of educational images showed dark skin), and it’s understandable why Black patients likely feel less confident about their options. “I once went into a spa and asked for microdermabrasion…

This Yoruba prayer, selected by Leah Penniman (hear from her on the next page), gives thanks to the plants, water, and ancestors: Iba se Ori ewe | I pay homage to the Spirit of the Leaves. Ire alafia | The good fortune of peace Ire’lera | The good fortune of a stable home Ire ori’re | The good fortune of wisdom. Ewe, mo dupe, ase | Leaves, I thank you, so be it. Iba se omi tutu | I pay homage to the Spirit of cool Water. Ire alafia | The good fortune of peace Ire’lera | The good fortune of a stable home Ire ori’re | The good fortune of wisdom Ire ori tutu | The good fortune of calmness. Mo dupe gbogbo ire, omi tutu | Thank you for the many blessings of Water. Ase | May it be so.…

HAVE A SIGNATURE LOOK. Der Nederlanden recommends a chic monochromatic theme, as in turquoise ribbon and tags on a glassine bag, or white ribbon and tags on a kraft paper box. “I also use baker’s twine to secure a bonus gift, like a candy cane or a pretty ornament.” FORGO SECRET INGREDIENTS. Speaking of labels, an ingredients list is also helpful so people with dietary restrictions know what they’re getting. Try a digital template (search “printable baking labels” on Etsy) to give your package a sophisticated feel. GIVE INSTRUCTIONS. With sweets (like truffles) that hold up better in the fridge, add a label including that info. Same for those that belong on the counter or taste best warmed up. And you’ll definitely want to mention how long the treats will…

ON AUGUST 18, 2019, the New York Times published the 1619 Project, memorializing the year—four centuries ago—when more than 20 enslaved Africans first arrived on the shores of England’s American colonies, preceding the Mayflower by more than a year. Those Africans had been stolen by the British from a Portuguese slave ship that had taken them from present-day Angola. On the day that ship anchored near Jamestown, American slavery was born. The publication of that special issue broadened out to the wider public heated debates that had been taking place within the Black community for years around reparations, the country’s “founding fathers,” the true motivations for the American Revolution, and whether Abraham Lincoln in fact believed in the equality of Black Americans, among other hot-button topics. Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer…

WHEN A WRITER like Ann Patchett opens the door into her personal life, step right in. The author of such new American classics as Bel Canto (2001) and The Dutch House (2019) is decidedly not a practitioner of meta. Her novels aren’t self-referential: They’re as different from one another as fiction by one artist can be. The worlds she’s created, starting with 1992’s The Patron Saint of Liars, include an opera singer threatened by guerrilla fighters, a magician who’s dying of AIDS, and scientists seeking medical miracles in the Amazon. Patchett doesn’t own a smartphone or have a Twitter account. In other words, she’s something of an anomaly. That’s among the reasons her radiant latest work, These Precious Days, is so welcome. It’s a playful, if at times melancholy, collection…

Dr. Denis Mukwege’s urgent new book, The Power of Women, is a wake-up call: Violence against women remains pervasive. But his work with rape survivors in the Democratic Republic of Congo offers a profile in courage and hope. Oprah sat down with the Nobel Peace Prize recipient to learn where he finds his awesome strength. OPRAH: Hello, Dr. Denis Mukwege. I’ve witnessed your great work on the global stage for some time, and I consider it an honor and privilege to sit down with you. You’ve dedicated your life to caring for survivors of sexual violence. While reading The Power of Women, which is being published under my book imprint, I kept thinking the force of life many of us call God had its hand in guiding you to this…

WE EITHER GO TO EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING OR WE GO TO ONE PERSON FOR EVERYTHING. IF YOU GO TO EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING, EVERYONE’S OPINION MATTERS. BUT IF YOU GO TO ONLY ONE PERSON, YOU DRAIN THEM. SO CREATE GROUPS OF MENTORS AROUND SPECIFIC AREAS. I HAVE A COUNCIL THAT CHEERS AND CHALLENGES ME.—JAY SHETTY No surprise here: Gratitude and joy are two very good things. When you embrace both, they can give you a unique perspective and leave an indelible mark on your life. But making it a daily practice to focus on them? Well, that can feel a lot trickier—especially when the going gets tough. That’s exactly why Gayle King sat down with Angela Manuel Davis, Amanda Kloots, and Jay Shetty. Each one of them has a unique perspective…

WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE WHO COULD USE SOME EXTRA LOVE TODAY—SO TELL THEM. SOMETIMES WE FORGET TO SAY ‘I LOVE YOU.’ AND IT’S AMAZING HOW THOSE LITTLE WORDS CAN CHANGE SOMEONE’S DAY. LOVE AND GRATITUDE ARE SO INTERTWINED.—AMANDA KLOOTS GAYLE: Jay, you have said that when you’re present in gratitude, you can’t be anywhere else. It made me wonder: How does mindfulness play a role in what we’re talking about today? JAY: When you’re having a grateful thought, you can’t have an anxious thought. When you’re having a thankful thought, you can’t have a worry thought. As Angela was saying earlier, it’s a choice. It is the opportunity to say, “Why don’t I choose to see this through the lens of thankfulness or gratitude so that I eliminate a thought…

YOU WILL FEEL JOY IF YOU TAKE THE GIFTS AND TALENT YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN AND GIVE THEM BACK TO THE WORLD. THIS MEANS YOU ARE LIVING IN SERVICE—AND THAT WILL BRING SO MUCH HAPPINESS AND SATISFACTION BACK TO YOU. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL CYCLE.—ANGELA MANUEL DAVIS GAYLE: How do you all deal with social media? You can get all these great comments and then one bad one, and that’s the one you remember. How do you make sure people don’t steal your joy like that? AMANDA: Throughout the pandemic, social media was a lifeline. It was community. I couldn’t have gotten through what I got through without it. Sometimes I block it out; sometimes I get out in front of it, thinking, If you’re going to make these accusations, at least…

One likely reason gratitude evolved was to inspire the urge to bond with people willing to help you. “That made us curious to explore why people don’t express appreciation when they feel it,” says Amit Kumar, PhD, assistant professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. In each of three experiments, volunteers wrote thank-you letters, then predicted the recipients’ reactions. Later, the recipients were asked how the notes actually made them feel. “I THOUGHT IT WASN’T A BIG DEAL.” Senders of the first batch of missives overestimated how awkward receivers would feel and significantly underestimated how surprised and happy they would be. “Someone said they were ‘bubbling over with joy,’” says Kumar. “It seems we don’t always recognize the value of expressing gratitude.” “I’M NOT GREAT…

“I made my husband promise he would always dance with me if I ask him, because why not?”—HEIDI KLUM, MODEL AND ENTREPRENEUR “The unexpected thing that brings me joy is the full moon. After my mother died, she came to me as the moon in a dream and said: ‘Mija, don’t worry; I’m watching over you.’ Ever since, every full moon that visits reminds me of this.”—SANDRA CISNEROS, AUTHOR OF MARTITA, I REMEMBER YOU/MARTITA, TE RECUERDO…

Here’s something that might bring a little joy to your world: 12 lucky readers will win all the fantastic items on pages 13 to 38—each one chosen by Oprah herself. For your chance, follow the steps below. HOW TO ENTER: Step 1 Find the 12 icons pictured here scattered throughout the pages of this issue. There’s one for each day of the sweepstakes. Step 2 Once a day from November 12 to November 23, enter for a chance to win at oprahdaily.com/12days-2021 by typing in the special code found on that day’s icon. Entering daily increases your chances of winning. The fun officially begins November 12 at 12:01 a.m. ET! GO TO oprahdaily.com/oprah-favorite-things-2021 FOR SHOPPING DATES AND DETAILS. SPECIAL THANKS TO: FedEx Office is the official packing and shipping provider…

WHEN IT COMES TO medical options for treating sexual dysfunction, men have Viagara, Cialis, and several others. Women have…not much, and our options aren’t nearly as effective for some. Perhaps that’s why alternative remedies, including cannabidiol (CBD), are gaining popularity as a boost for female pleasure, says Stacia Woodcock, PharmD, the dispensary manager at cannabis company Curaleaf, which has more than 100 locations across the United States. “Particularly during Covid-19 lockdowns, we saw an uptick in women exploring cannabinoid therapies,” she says. What can CBD, which is the nonpsychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant, do for you between the sheets? The scientific research is slim in this area, but one recent study in the journal Sexual Medicine suggests that cannabinoids, including CBD, are associated with increased sexual desire and…

EAU SO LOVELY I wouldn’t blame you if you set this perfume on your night table to admire its regal beauty without even giving it a spritz (iconic architect Frank Gehry designed the bottle). I’d hardly recommend it, though: The sensual blend of Venezuelan tonka bean, patchouli, and bergamot is not to be missed. Les Parfums Louis Vuitton Les Extraits Collection in Cosmic Cloud, $530; louisvuitton.com Dream Cream On hand in this moisturizer to help deliver supple, radiant skin are vitamin C, aloe, rose hip oil, and glycerin. Alpyn Beauty Triple-C Brightening Bounce Cream, $49; alpynbeauty.com GENTLE TOUCH My skin can take a licking and keep on ticking. Sensitive types, however, will love this mineral sunscreen and foundation, the first complexion makeup product to receive the National Eczema Association’s Seal of…

WEAR IT OFF OR ON THE SHOULDERS IT’S REVERSIBLE! IT HAS AN ELASTIC WAISTBAND CHECK OUT ADAM’S WEEKLY STYLE PICKS FOR OPRAH DAILY INSIDERS AT oprahdaily.com/joinus.…

SPICED SPARKLER Nonalchoholic drinks don’t have to mean non-fun. As dazzling to look at as it is to sip, this will become an all-year go-to—just swap the pears for whatever fruit is in season! Red Pear Shrub Spritzer Makes 2 servings ½ cup sugar1 vanilla bean5 cardamom pods1 pound (about 2) ripe red pears6 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar Club soda In a saucepan, bring sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and ½ cup water to a boil. Cut a few slices from pears to reserve for garnish, roughly chop the rest, and add to the pan. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, then let stand 30 minutes. Strain and stir in vinegar. Refrigerate until cold. Line 2 glasses with reserved pear slices. Divide vinegar mixture among glasses (½ cup each) and top with…

1. In 1619 a ship called the White Lion dropped anchor at Point Comfort, Virginia, and traded a group of enslaved Africans to colonists. 2. At the time of the American Revolution, all 13 colonies engaged in African slavery, and enslaved people accounted for about 20 percent of the population of the new nation. 3. Historian Ira Berlin, who upended notions of slavery and its aftermath, observed that in America, freedom and slavery were born at the same moment. 4. The American South was one of just a handful of true slave societies in the history of the world, and the region would shape much about American law, culture, and politics. 5. The labor of enslaved Africans fueled the early American economy, and it was the cotton the enslaved grew…

1 / Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds BY HUMA ABEDIN In her revealing first book, Hillary Clinton’s top aide and close friend steps powerfully from the shadows of both her boss and her estranged husband, former congressman and convicted sex offender Anthony Weiner. Abedin’s is an inspiring story of resilience and grace under white-hot pressure. 2 / Five Tuesdays in Winter BY LILY KING In this inventive, gimlet-eyed collection of stories, the author of Writers & Lovers peels away the illusions of her characters—a bookseller grasping at love; a young woman smitten with a married, dresswearing bartender; college hall mates who hook up decades later—all wrangling “a persistent, irritating, useless desire.” 3 / When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky BY MARGARET VERBLE Two is a young Cherokee woman…

In 2011 City of Joy opened its doors to women survivors of rape and violence in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, a region that’s been plagued by war for more than two decades. Founded by Dr. Mukwege along with Christine Schuler Deschryver and Eve Ensler (whose V-Day movement in part inspired its founding), City of Joy offers gender violence survivors a protected community in which to heal through therapy and life-skills classes. To date, more than 1,500 women have graduated from its program. For six-month stints, 90 women at a time dance, sing, stage plays, acquire entrepreneurial skills, and learn to love their bodies. The goal: When they leave, they no longer feel stigmatized and return to their communities as leaders. Go to CityofJoyCongo.org to donate or learn more.…

GAYLE: I’m fascinated by your story—that at 22, you decided to become a monk. When I think of being a monk, no offense, but I don’t think of it as joyous. You clearly saw something others did not. What was it? JAY: I met a monk when I was 18 years old. He was speaking about service, gratitude, and how we can make an impact in the lives of others. But more important, Gayle, when I look back, I realized that I’d met people who were famous or beautiful or rich, but I don’t think I had met anyone who was truly joyful—and this monk was. That joy came from finding joy in one’s own company. I had my career in front of me, and all I could see around me was…

GAYLE: I marvel at you, Amanda—your spirits are always so up. And I know you must have had very tough times that the public didn’t see. When you were going through the journey with Nick, did you ever lean into the pain? AMANDA: It’s impossible not to. I cried every day, for sure. I think you can only be positive if you allow space for all the other emotions. If you try to shove those emotions away, you’re only hiding. It’s important to be vulnerable and honest while you’re going through pain and trauma. The moment you try to hide it, you’re just faking it and stunting what is going to eventually come out. It’s easier to live a positive, happy life if you allow yourself to cry, to feel the pain,…

I’M THE PRODUCT of an optimist and a cynic. My mother has always seen the world through rose-colored glasses; my father viewed it with a hearty dose of skepticism. Me? I’m somewhere in between. I consider myself a positive person, but I’ll always ask questions…sure, the glass is half full, but what type of glass is it, exactly? Because if it’s one of those fluted styles, it might only appear full. Still, I’ve always been inspired by—and a little envious of—my mother’s cheery outlook. Gratitude is just naturally a part of her life. I first witnessed it at the age of 6, when my father passed away suddenly. Instead of wallowing in the fact that she and her two young children had just been robbed in the worst way, she…

AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE A couple of years ago I had dinner with a group of graduates from the OWLAG class of 2014. One girl was chosen to write the letter below on their behalf. There were a lot of grateful tears on both sides that night! The best gift—whose value to both giver and receiver will be priceless—is the gift of words straight from the heart. And when they’re written and not just spoken, they last forever. It’s an irresistible way to immediately connect: “I love you and appreciate you, and here’s why.” A few other things I’ve noticed… THANK-YOU LETTERS REMIND US OF THE POWER OF KINDNESS. Every action you take has consequences you can’t foresee. It’s the ripple effect. And when your actions are done with the intention…

TARAB MEANING: Heightened emotion and self-transcendence through music ORIGIN: Arabic TRY IT: Tarab involves enchantment, the listener losing track of time and space. Put on music that moves you and give yourself over to its beauty. DADIRRI MEANING: Deep, respectful listening ORIGIN: Ngan’gikurunggurr and Ngen’giwumirri languages of the Aboriginal people of Australia TRY IT: The next time your partner or a beloved family member wants to talk, try cultivating the inner stillness that comes from attention to the natural world and its rhythms. TONGLEN MEANING: A meditative practice of giving and receiving; compassion ORIGIN: Tibetan TRY IT: Tonglen is technically a meditation practice. However, it means altruism, something you can practice by bringing a meal to a sick friend, volunteering at a local shelter, or donating time to a hotline. UBUNTU MEANING:…

“If you’re afraid to lean into good news, wonderful moments, and joy—if you find yourself waiting for the other shoe to drop—you are not alone. It’s called ‘foreboding joy,’ and most of us experience it. Joy is vulnerable. In our research we found that everyone who showed a deep capacity for joy had one thing in common: They practiced gratitude. In the midst of joy, there’s often a quiver, a shudder of vulnerability. Rather than using that as a warning sign to dress-rehearse tragedy, the people who lean into joy use the quiver as a reminder to practice gratitude.” —BRENÉ BROWN, PHD, MSW…

STEP 1 Map a typical day. Draw a circle like the one below on a piece of paper and create a pie chart that represents how you spend the 24 hours in a day. If you sleep eight hours, draw a slice that occupies one-third of the pie. Then mark how much time you spend working, caretaking, cooking, watching TV, and so on. STEP 2 List what you love. Complete each sentence with a different activity. Don’t spend too much time thinking: Jot down the first answers that come to mind, because those will typically be the most true. STEP 3 Pencil in fun. Now draw your dream time chart and include at least a few activities from your list; some might not be practical on a daily basis, but…

TODAY I LOOKED up at the sky. It was a pure blue, with clouds like pillows. Later, there were stars and planets blinking and lighting the way. But down here on earth, we’re facing events that feel existential: fires, storms, floods, a pandemic. Occurrences that make it hard to remember how much we have to be grateful for. In this issue, we pay homage to gratitude and offer ways big and small to appreciate, celebrate, and savor life’s gifts—nature, beauty, art, books, and, above all, love and the relationships we have with one another. Then, get ready to feel some joy, because being grateful—and especially having a daily gratitude practice—is key to cultivating and living a joyful life. We’ve invited experts to help us explore that link, and we asked…

Exercisers who got their sweat on in the morning are more likely to stick to a routine and lose weight, according to current data on obese adults reported in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. Plus, morning movement sets the tone for your day and is a bona fide energy booster, says exercise scientist Michelle Leachman, professional education services program manager with the American Council on Exercise. Here, she offers advice on how to get up and get going—even if you’re not a morning person. 1. Stick to a regular schedule. Aim to rise within 15 to 20 minutes of the same time each morning to help your body get into a routine. Set your alarm to something pleasant, such as happy sounds or a favorite song, to provoke a positive…

GLITTER LIPS Sparkly lips seem to surface every year around this time, and recent TikTok tutorials have racked up more than 177 million views. Our take on @makeupwithivan’s version is a simple way to wow in holiday photos. REVERSE CAT EYE The finished look, popularized by @paintedbyspencer, is exactly what you’d expect—with the liner and wings featured on the bottom lashline. It’s genius because it helps open and elongate the shape of the eyes. STEP 1 Line the bottom lashline with a black gel liner, extending the line into the inner corner and flicking it at the outer corner to create a wing. STEP 2 Using the same liner, line the top lashline from just beyond the pupil to the outer corner, connecting with the bottom wing to create a…

THERE IS NO day of the year on which Americans are more united in our reverence for the food on our tables than Thanksgiving. As we take our seats, many of us—nearly half, according to a Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation poll—will bow our heads to say grace before the first bite. We’ll give thanks for our rich multidish feast and for our family members (even the ones we’re not particularly fond of). But for some—we’re calling them “food cultivators”—gratitude for nourishment starts in the soil, with the planting of seeds, the harvesting of crops, and the nurturing of animals. This cohort of foodies represents an emerging spiritual shift back to an ecologically minded sense of our interconnectedness. In early cultures, “Food was one of the most valuable things…

Cloud Cuckoo Land BY ANTHONY DOERR An allusive Greek text casts a spell across millennia, capturing a glittering array of characters—from a teenager in 1453 Constantinople to an eco-terrorist in present day Idaho—in this opulent marvel of a novel by the Pulitzerwinning author of All the Light We Cannot See. OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois BY HONORÉE FANONNE JEFFERS This sweeping kitchen-table epic is the Great American Novel told through the family and ancestors of its protagonist, Ailey Pearl Garfield. Their narratives are anchored in centuries of oppression, sexual violations, and wounds made bearable by the humor, love, and resilience of Black matriarchs, then and now. Great Circle BY MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD Shipstead’s exhilarating feminist epic is an ode to independence, persistence, and aviation. Marian…

LEIGH HABER: You set this novel in an unnamed independent bookstore in Minneapolis. You actually own a bookstore—BirchBark Books—in the Twin Cities. What made you choose that backdrop? LOUISE ERDRICH: I feel a kinship with book people. They love to exchange often-heated opinions about what they’re reading. I enjoy being immersed in that. There’s a sense of community I wanted to share. LH: Like your main character, Tookie, I suspect you too think of “book people” as in a class of their own. LE: Yes, that’s why I wanted to start the store! LH: Tookie, who’s Ojibwe, has just been released from prison when she gets hired at the store. She was convicted of a very strange crime: body snatching. How did you come up with that? LE: I was…

ACCORDING TO THE Academy of American Poets, readers have increasingly turned to poetry for solace and inspiration throughout the pandemic. In fact, they report a 30 percent rise in visitors to the website Poets.org over the last year, with poems such as “Kindness” by Naomi Shihab Nye leading the way. This season's quartet of standout collections packs an emotional punch, eloquently distilling pressing cultural and political issues while helping us make sense of who and where we are now. Spread the word—and give the gift of poetry. 1. Winter Recipes from the Collective BY LOUISE GLÜCK In poems that read like fables, the 2020 Nobel Prize winner in Literature zooms in on the artifacts that make up a life—a misplaced passport, a sandwich wrapped in wax paper—and exposes the meaning…

GAYLE: What are you most grateful for today? AMANDA: I pray while I drive. And today I just said, “Lord, thank you for this gorgeous day. The sun is shining, and that makes me happy. And I’m grateful for that.” I mean, that’s how easy it can be to find something you’re grateful for. ANGELA: I’m grateful I was on the wake-up list this morning. I’m here. I’m grateful to see another day. JAY: I think we’ve all had experiences where we’ve been out of breath or struggling. And there were so many people across the last 18 months who were struggling to breathe. We started to realize the value of every breath that we take—every morning that we wake up and we get an opportunity to just inhale and…

GAYLE: Angela, what you do provides such a great service. Your class is much more than spinning. You take us on a journey. It’s spiritual. Does it feel that way to you? ANGELA: You know, earlier today, somebody asked me what surprises me about what I do. And I said, “It’s the fact that God would use a cycle class.” You know what I mean? If we give whatever it is back that’s been given to us, we can live this life of service and change humanity. We can make a difference in people’s lives—talk about living in joy! What a privilege it is that something I do can make someone else feel different. I think we all have that opportunity to live in that kind of joy and fulfillment. It…

How do you cultivate gratitude? It can start with a simple thank you—or three. “At the end of each day, think of three things that you’re thankful for,” says Lala-Trindade, who recommends this to her patients and does it at home with her children and husband. You can either say them out loud with your loved ones or write them in a journal. “It doesn’t matter if your day was lousy—doing this really helps close it on a good note,” she says. Studies have shown that even as little as two to four weeks of a gratitude practice can lead to health benefits: One published in the Journal of Health Psychology pointed to a decrease in blood pressure and improvement in sleep quality in women, while another found that gratitude…

“Spending time with little children, especially my own little nieces and nephews, always brings me joy. There’s innocence and honesty in little children. I feel safe and loved, and they’re safe and loved by me.”—DOLLY PARTON, SINGER-SONGWRITER AND BUSINESSWOMAN “Opening my curtains in the early morning and letting the light enter my room, because it gives me a boost and helps me work hard for a better world.”—MALALA, ACTIVIST AND NOBEL PRIZE WINNER “Seeing, hearing, and being near the ocean. It balances me. I feel calm and grounded. It feels like home. Growing up in San Pedro, California, the ocean was one of the few constants in my life.”—MISTY COPELAND, PRINCIPAL DANCER WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE…

CHILDREN HAVE ALWAYS brought me joy—which is part of the reason why I’d always known I wanted my own. Fun fact: By the time I was in the seventh grade, I’d already picked out placeholder names for my future children: Rusty and Dusty. Twenty years later, when I found out I was expecting my first child, I honestly really wanted a boy. Mostly because as the eldest of four girls, I’d always dreamed of having a big brother. So, when my favorite daughter, Kirby, arrived, I immediately thought, Well, this isn’t quite what I had planned. The point is: We tend to think that joy only comes in the form of momentous life events—like, say, having a child—and that all those big days add up to one joyous ball. But…

AS LEAD NATIONAL correspondent for CBS Mornings, David Begnaud has covered major news stories around the world, including the shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida; the terrorist attack at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California; and the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. In the midst of many dark scenes, he’s been awed to witness the dawning of deep, poignant joy. “I often meet individuals in their most vulnerable moments,” says Begnaud. “Yet even in those trying times, I’ve seen people reflect on their lives with gratitude. Those reflections then lead to a warm and hopeful feeling within that person. So I’ve learned that joy can suddenly creep into your life just like [negative emotions] can.” He’s also learned that you don’t have to wait for joy…

I came upon this poem recently, and as poetry so often does, it captures the essence of a feeling and puts it into words. I love how the poet, Richard Wehrman, perfectly expresses the joy of being alive, so I wanted to share it with you. Enjoy! THESE MORNINGS All these mornings are one morning; over and over I am greeted by the new day—who greets me but this Self that is your Self? Beauty flows fresh, mist and light glowing in the valleys, brilliance of gold breaking through the leaves and branches of the trees. All around me the treasures of the soul have gathered as beings, as the created newness of the World. If I could ask for any gift to be given to us all, over and…