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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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Cook: Do you see the coffee stain? Or the rest of the carpet?

coffee and cup on carpet with stain coffee tile / Getty Images
coffee and cup on carpet with stain coffee tile / Getty Images coffee and cup on carpet with stain coffee tile / Getty Images

In these Afghanistan-collapsing, Ida-wrecking, COVID-killing days, I’ve been trying to focus on something, well, different.

Joy.

Appreciative joy.

What is that?

Yep, that was my question, too. For me, so practiced at recognizing what’s wrong with the world instead of what’s right with it, appreciative joy feels like learning a new language.