Readers Share What Has Brought Them Joy in 2023

It’s not often that my inbox seems a delightful place, though it does when I’m reading about your 2023 wins, big and small. Please keep sending them to me at [email protected], and please include your full name and the city where you live.

Here’s some of what readers have shared, lightly edited:

“Last November, I broke my foot in four places and shredded a ligament. The long, snowy winter was spent in bed and in pain. But time is kind, and the body knows how to heal. Even though I’m still limping and not out of pain, I was recently able to savor Diana Ross in concert in the pouring rain, dancing my heart out to those old Supremes goodies, one-legged, cold and in heaven.” — Ana Ramana, Mount Shasta

“After years of wanting to create a garden that I could enjoy, rather than just water and weed, I have finally been able to return my 4,500 square feet of water-guzzling suburban lawn and water-wasting concrete pavement to something like a primordial meadow. The garden is bordered by native California wax myrtles (home to butterflies, with berries enjoyed by birds), and we are installing native plants to provide habitat for pollinators. I now can’t wait to spend time in my garden.” — Margaret Lukens, Burlingame

“Our family win was our daughter’s graduation from high school. It was a fun celebration, doubly meaningful for what she and her classmates had to endure. They were online and off campus for a year plus. There were wildfires with smoke so thick that the daytime looked like dusk. Yet, they kept going and learned that such endurance is the secret to hard times. You keep going with the support of the people around you, and one day the hard times will end. A very valuable life lesson, indeed.” — Carol Castillo, Petaluma

“The huge amount of rain and snow in California ended a terrible drought and brought oodles of wildflowers and burgeoning trees. Spirits lifted as we hiked, biked, birded and reveled in all the greenery.” — Jennifer Russell, Walnut Creek