If there’s one thing that this pandemic has taught me it’s that joy comes from the special moments in life, whether it’s meeting some friends for dinner, catching up with family, or even just dressing up for an occasion. The pandemic made me realize that the greatest joy we get is when we truly appreciate moments like these.

After life came to a sudden halt a few years ago and now kind of stabilized to a new normal, who knew that we would have to think about the simple decisions that we make, whether it was if we could meet our friends or not. Not being able to meet our friends for a while was something no one could have expected. Friends are one of the greatest sources of joy. When we go out and spend time with them, then you see that it’s all about these moments and the strong relationships that we built.

Sure, we still must make some tough decisions at times whether we should go out to certain places and whether we are well enough to meet others, but not meeting your family for a while can take a grave toll on yourself. That joy when you meet your parents after a while or even just sitting at the table with your sibling or other relatives, is a joy that cannot be easily replaced. Even when your dog comes to greet you like he hasn’t seen you in days even though he has just seen you recently, makes you remember that there are others that care about you. Those are the moments that count.

Being truly feminine at heart, I love to dress up and who doesn’t? The moment I was stuck at home, and of course, there are days when I just wear sweatpants and a tee shirt (like any other person during this pandemic), it felt a bit bleak to not try to dress up at times. Before the pandemic, it felt like a real task getting dressed up and making too much of an effort to look nice (and there were times you might also dread getting dressed up because of the time and effort it took), but it is worth it now because of the joy it brings. Having to go for a small engagement party or a get-together is a rarity nowadays but attending those events because of the joyous moments that they represent create a sense of happiness that can’t be replicated. The joy of dressing up is back.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now, but if we simply take the time to remember the greatest joys in our lives, we can feel better. Those are the special moments that count. Make every moment a joyous one.