PEBBLE
Joy is supposed to slither through the cracks of your imperfect life. That’s how joy works.
~Harry Baker, shared by Angela in Ridgeland, SC
BOULDER
Joy and woe are woven fine,
A clothing for the soul divine;
Under every grief and pine
Runs a joy with silken twine.
It is right it should be so;
Man was made for joy and woe;
And when this we rightly know,
Safely through the world we go.
~William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, shared by Janell in Prairie Farm, WI
PONDER
I’m assembling this issue just as the holiday season is revving up, and I’m noticing how tired I am after a year full of adventures. Plenty of good stuff happened—truly good stuff—and I’m grateful for the many chances I had to fire up groups and reconnect with friends. Still, all that goodness required a fair bit of time, energy, and bandwidth. Toss in a few challenges I didn’t see coming, and I suspect they drained more of my life force than I realized.
Along with a decent dose of rest and relaxation, there’s another tonic that reliably lifts my spirits: joy. The big joys—holiday gatherings, seasonal concerts, festive moments—always leave me beaming. But it’s the tiny, unscripted joys that surprise me the most: a chance encounter with someone from the past, stumbling upon a new song that feels tailor-made for my heart, or an extra helping of gratitude during a simple meal with my sweetie.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re navigating this week, I hope you leave a little extra room for joy to slip in and sit beside you. And when a moment arises for you to unleash a bit of joy into the world, trust your instincts and go for it. It matters more than you think.
Peace,
Paul
P.S. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the winter solstice, or simply the turning of the year, may your days be merry and meaningful.