Blog post alert: In A question, Jackie Morris recounts being caught by surprise when asked, "What brings you joy?" All of her answers are worth reading (do click on the link), but I've selected one to imitate. She and a friend collaborated on the bracelet shown here. It embodies her chant/charm/poem: "full moon, owl flight, stone speaks, witch light."
Well, this year we're all going to need reminders of what brings us joy—not generalized happiness or contentment, but that leap of the heart which makes the world sing, at least for a moment. You don't have to be a poet or have a jeweler friend to embody your own special talismans in some sort of bracelet, amulet, cross-stitch motto, postcard for the bulletin board, or refrigerator post-it. But you do have to come up with a text. Try listing four things that take you by surprise over and over again and make you smile each time. Even if you take the exercise no further, it'll make you feel good.
Here's my list. It's not as hauntingly beautiful as Morris's, but it does the job for me: "Corgi smile/ black squirrel/ sun trail across water/ rainbow breaking through."