If I asked you the question “What brings you joy?” would you be able to answer it? Not just happiness, not contentment, or satisfaction, but pure joy. I’ve come to believe that it’s one of the rarest emotions we feel as adults, and yet it was probably one that we felt most often when we were young. In fact, I think if you observe kids of different ages, you can see that the joyful moments become less and less frequent the older they get. It’s as if the heaviness of the world starts pressing down and joy has no room to breathe, or stretch, or grow. Or spread in that infectious way that it does. When someone else feels joy and we witness it, isn’t it true that we can’t help but feel it too? It’s contagious, in a wonderful way, and suddenly we’re smiling from ear to ear too.

I think that feeling joyful brings us back to some of our happiest childhood memories, because it truly is an emotion that will only reveal itself in our most unburdened moments. In order to experience it, we have to let go of whatever heaviness or sadness we might feel, and unfortunately as adults those are emotions that visit us quite often. There are some people who seem to be capable of feeling it more than others, and I think subconsciously we like being around those people. We’re drawn to them, in fact. And there are are those people who bring out a joyful side of us, and that can be a truly wonderful thing. And extremely rare. If you know a person like that who is capable of making you feel the same kind of joy you felt on Christmas morning, or in the moment when you realized it was going to be a snow day, or jumping the waves on the beach with your parents on either side of you, then how very lucky you are. It doesn’t have to be your significant other, it can be a friend, or a family member, one of your children, or even your favorite bartender. (Insert winkie emoji here). It’s just a special connection that you feel with that person. You have a joy button and they know how to press it, and you should let them know it if they don’t already. Reach out, call, email, text, talk, whatever it is that the two of you do and tell them. Say it. You bring me joy.

For today’s cocktail I’m using a marshmallow liqueur that I recently acquired from Australia simply for fun and because its name, Sexycat, made me laugh. It’s made from raspberries, vanilla, and a dash of rosewater, and it is surprisingly intricate and unexpected. Like a moment of pure joy. I made a simple champagne cocktail with it to which I added just a tiny bit of Chambord to bump up the raspberry flavor just a bit. I made a new friend recently who has a very funny (and joyful) obsession with those marshmallow confections known as Peeps, that are especially prevalent at Easter time in the form of chicks and bunnies, but also turn up as ghosts and hearts for Halloween and Valentine’s Day. I’ve always loved them, but they are not a popular item in my house due to a very unfortunate incident that occurred once involving Peeps and my oldest child. It’s been fun, and downright joyful at times, to become reacquainted with them and I’m celebrating with a marshmallow cocktail in their honor.

You Bring Me Joy

1 oz Sexycat liqueur
1/4 oz Chambord
Prosecco to top

Pour the marshmallow liqueur and the Chambord into a glass with a small amount of ice and stir quickly to chill. Pour into a Champagne flute or a coupe glass and then top with Prosecco. Drop in a raspberry as a garnish. Smile from ear to ear. Be joyful.