Reporter readers respond “What brings you joy?” That’s the question The Trinity My husband, when he Reporter asked the college community this past spring belly laughs, can lift the through newsletters, social media, and emails. While it’s a seemingly simple question, these days—amid a once-in-a- mood of an entire room. century global pandemic—it’s anything but. His simple, silly glee As Randolph “Randy” Lee ’66, director of Trinity’s Counseling and Wellness Center and associate professor of brings me an insane, psychology, notes, “It’s clear that the pandemic has had an impact on most of us when it comes to our emotional state.” heart-bursting, tears-in- For some, he says, “these impacts will last longer than for my-eyes amount of joy. others, but I think if we focus on resilience and trying to let ourselves bounce back as things get better, realistically and All the better if I’ve said not naïvely, but also with optimism, we can minimize the or done something to long-term effects.” Lee offers a metaphor that he says speaks to ifnding joy: crack him up like that. running a hurdles race. “There are long stretches of lfat, smooth ground, but you know at some point soon there Pure magic. will be a hurdle that you need to jump over,” he says. CARLA BOECKLIN ’01 “Sometimes you may knock down the hurdle, and some- Park City, Utah times you may clear it. Atfer the hurdle is another smooth area, but you always know there will be another hurdle. In some ways life is like that. We need to try not to focus on the hurdles and instead focus on the lfat ground between them when we can be more at peace.” I am a critical care medicine doc in Florida. This past So what “lfat, smooth ground” year has been brutal at work. Too many patients, not helped those in the Trinity com- munity get through the trying enough beds or nurses, not enough treatments that times of the COVID-19 pandemic work. Too many deaths. My little bursts of joy have been and its fallout? What is it that found through night sky watching and my pets. I love to brought joy? Read on to ifnd out. be outside at night in Florida. It’s cooler for one, fewer people are out, better time to walk my dog. We live in a OCK As an aging retiree, I now suburb, so the night sky is pretty visible, and Florida is T reside in an apartment, which has a picture window lfat so you get the whole sky to see. It really is uplifting. SHUTTERS facing east. I watch the I have seen many shooting stars, moonrises, and the / dawn now with joy and ASH close alignment of Mars and Jupiter last year. We have a AD marvel at the changing BIB big dog and two cats. They are a constant source of love : cloud patterns that make ONS each dawn individual. TI and laughs. I cannot imagine living without them! TRA US RICHARD FERRARO ’55 ILL Dover, New Hampshire SARAH A. NEILLY• Melbourne, Flor ’81 ida FALL 2021 29