Opalite - Creating My Own Joy (May 2026 Recap)

I chose the word Opalite for 2026 because I love the meaning so much.  The word is the title of a song by Taylor Swift, and it means creating your own joy or happiness even when things aren’t going your way.  Life is full of ups and downs, so I thought this would be the perfect word to keep at the forefront of my mind as a constant reminder that there’s always something I can do to lift my own spirits.  And this manufactured joy doesn’t have to come from grand gestures or big events… most of the time it’s made in the small, everyday details. 

 

May feels like 6 months ago since we squeezed so much into the single month of June, and I’m behind on these recaps which means I’m going to have to do two this month.  Anyway, May was bonkers with all that was going on, so while I tried to keep my word of the year at the forefront of my mind, I was honestly too busy most days to think about creating my own joy.  Ha!  I was also terrible at taking notes, so I’m mostly going on memory which means that I don’t have a whole lot to share today.  I vowed to recap my word of the year throughout the year, though, so here are some of the things that I remember doing to make the month a little more joyful…

 

-       It was still so chilly at the beginning of May, and one cold, rainy day I had to volunteer at the kids’ school, so I swung by Starbucks and grabbed a peppermint mocha even though I usually only drink those during the Christmas season.  It totally fit the vibe that the weather was putting out, and it sounded delicious, so I just went with it, and I was so glad I did.  ;o)  (And yes, you can totally order a peppermint mocha even when they don’t have them on the main menu… just order a mocha with three pumps of peppermint syrup!)

-       While I was grabbing my coffee, I also grabbed our resource officer’s favorite coffee to bring to him because doing stuff for others also brings me joy. 

-       Volunteering for Teacher Appreciation Week is always a lot of work, but it always brings me so much joy.  Our teachers are truly the best of the best, and it makes me happy to treat them all week.  It also brings me joy to see their gratitude.  They are always genuinely moved and so grateful every year. 

-       During Olivia’s long dress rehearsal before her recital, I always have to sit in the cold, dark theater for many, many hours, and it always makes me sleepy.  We’re not supposed to bring food or drinks in there, but I always sneak something in… this year, instead of opting for a healthy snack like I usually do, I enjoyed some almond M&Ms… life’s little pleasures.  <3

-       One evening, I was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was get in my pajamas and stay home but Olivia was dying to go see her best friend in our school play, so I gave in and told her we could go there instead.  She was so excited that she threw her arms around me and thanked me a million times, and there’s not much that brings me more joy than seeing my kids joyful, too.

-       At the beginning of summer break, I went to the library and loaded up on books to read.  I had a giant summer reading stack, and that will never not make me happy!  I love always having a good book to look forward to.  It is definitely one of life’s little pleasures.

-       I pulled out some of my summer mugs to put on my rack by my teapot, and a festive mug always brings me joy!  That first cup of tea in a cute mug every morning never fails to make me happy.

-       I went on lots of evening walks per usual even though we were super busy… my walks always make me happy, they leave me feeling energized (most of the time), and they make me better mentally and physically, so I always prioritize them no matter how busy we are.

 

And that’s about all I can remember!  I’ll be recapping June soon, too!

Happy Tuesday, y’all!