OPINION | Joy Drop: Leafs' William Nylander knows how to avoid ...

Friends, I know I am not alone when I say that the weight of certain world events has been overwhelming and deeply sad. I am finding small joys in community and in the warmth of friends and family when the world feels cold. I also find meaning in penning this online notebook. Joy Drop does not offer solutions to complex issues, but it does offer love and tending to the heart and that is part of self-preservation. 

This week there are a few things that made me smile and I will start with this hilarious photo of the Toronto Maple Leafs' William Nylander taking the subway to the Scotiabank Arena ahead of a game against the Ottawa Senators.

It's so funny to me that a player from one of the most beloved teams in this city's history is sitting there minding his own business, just being a normal Torontonian, as the passenger beside him (in a Leafs toque) is on his phone not realizing that. The Leafs lost against the Sens, but Nylander won. Public transportation is awesome — even for famous athletes. 

Speaking of good citizenry, seeing someone flourish and thrive after glaring injustice is also making me happy. Dr. Yusef Salaam, from the exonerated "Central Park Five,"  a group of young men who were wrongly convicted of a rape then exonerated seven years later, was elected to New York's city council this week. It is magnificent to see him embracing this role and moving forward with purpose in such an impactful manner. 

Two years ago, he joined Matt Galloway on The Current and his words still give me pause. Have a listen, if nothing else, his wisdom is worth sharing particularly in a world that is so fraught with despair.

Featured VideoYusef Salaam was wrongfully convicted of the rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park, but he isn’t letting what happened make him bitter.

CBC Edmonton's Mark Connolly had a fantastic segment with Robbie Lewis from Beaver Lake Cree Nation. Robbie was chatting about Bruce, a beloved member of his family. Bruce is a goat who thinks he's a dog. It's adorable and made me laugh a lot. Especially when April Mountain, his human mom, said: "He's very stubborn. He won't eat goat food; he thinks he is a dog." 

Featured VideoWhen nine-year-old Louise May Lewis asked her parents for a pet deer for her birthday, they knew that probably couldn’t happen. But the family, who lives north of Edmonton at the Beaver Lake Cree Nation, ended up adopting a baby goat named Bruce instead. Edmonton AM’s Mark Connolly caught up with her father Robbie to learn more.

I have found a lot of joy seeing dear friends from Hijabi Ballers last weekend at an event in Toronto to launch their new app. I was moderating a discussion at the event and seeing so many excited faces was pure joy. This video of the fits from that day is so great. It also makes me very happy to see so many different looks in a space dedicated to sport and community. 

This weekend is the NWSL final between OL Reign and Gotham FC. Megan Rapinoe and longtime teammate Ali Krieger will face off, then both retire from professional soccer after the match. There will be tears of joy for sure. 

The Rivalry Series' first two games are being hosted by the U.S. team and although Canada lost game one, the second game on Saturday will be an exciting one for sure. 

Sports have the power to connect and this weekend the Muslim Women Summer Basketball League is having its All-Star game with support from Canada Basketball, MLSE Launchpad and Hijabi Ballers. The event is free! I can't wait to attend and support women's basketball in Canada as it grows. 

The last thing I wanted to share is a post on Instagram that caught my attention.  I may not provoke joy, but it emanates love and the two are closely related.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shireen Ahmed is a multi-platform sports journalist, a TEDx speaker, mentor, and an award-winning sports activist who focuses on the intersections of racism and misogyny in sports. She is an industry expert on Muslim women in sports, and her academic research and contributions have been widely published. She is co-creator and co-host of the “Burn It All Down” feminist sports podcast team. In addition to being a seasoned investigative reporter, her commentary is featured by media outlets in Canada, the USA, Europe and Australia. She holds an MA in Media Production from Toronto Metropolitan University where she now teaches Sports Journalism and Sports Media. You can find Shireen tweeting or drinking coffee, or tweeting about drinking coffee. She lives with her four children and her cat.