Nov 1, 2025 3 min read The Joy Diaries

Don't Let the Thieves (of Joy) Bring you Down

The Huntington (October 2025)

Lately, I have thought a lot about thieves and museums, and coincidentally, mused about these topics before the theft of Napoleonic jewels from the Louvre. I had spent an afternoon wandering on my own at the Huntington and was considering how private collections are built.

Many of us felt a jolt of joy when the Louvre was penetrated and jewels from an empire long past were stolen in broad daylight. Did you feel the jolt? I did. It felt symbolic, as if the thieves found a little crack in the foundation of the system we have come to be a part of for so long. Nothing is impenetrable, even an edifice as grand as the Louvre. Art and artifacts can be whisked away--properly with large sums of money, or improperly, in broad daylight, it seems, with a royal crown strewn on the street and damaged. But this is not an art crime newsletter (wouldn't that be fun?).

Instead of art, how about this? Where have you let thieves penetrate and steal your joy? Have you thought about what objects have been removed from your metaphorical house? Are you being robbed in broad daylight? Or has it been stealthy while you were scrolling a device at the end of the day when you finally get a few moments to rest? Or, is there no theft at all, and you freely give away your precious possessions (time & joy) to others– known or not?

This is not a judgment. Recently, I have allowed thieves to penetrate my house and steal my joy. It happened slowly, and the theft wasn't grand like the one at the Louvre, but small and repetitive. It took me some time to realize what was happening, but I was feeling different and down. My 17-year-old called it negative. He was right. I had become pessimistic. I am not that person. I have been taking steps to reclaim my jewels and strengthen the security around them.

This newsletter is a reminder that you can strengthen your protection and establish mightier security. You can reclaim your joy. It will be challenging depending on what is happening in your life. There is so much to distract us from ourselves, from what we know in our hearts to be true, from each other. Even though it feels like our reality is not shared, it is: We are human, we bleed, we love, we die.

So here is what I have been doing to eke out some joy in my life and reclaim my humanity:

Running up to the roof to see a sunset. 🌅

Asking my family to join me at the annual car show early morning in Monrovia. I love getting coffee and looking at the well-maintained old cars. It helps me commune with my father's spirit. I also enjoyed taking this picture of my son and his father together. They both didn't enjoy the event, but I savored abundant joy watching them walk the street together. 🤩

Spending time with words. ✍🏼

Buying a book I don't need so that I can support an indie bookstore. 📚

Watching horror movies with my younger son 🍿– I've never been a horror fan, but he is, and I want to connect with him, so I have challenged myself to watch them. It has been exceptionally fun!

Taking random selfies with my husband at the park.📸

Dressing as my father for Halloween (surgeon) and winning an award in the contest (first time in 26 years!) for most recognizable. LOL 🩺

Setting up the Trick or Treat station outside our door. 🎃