"If you suddenly feel unexpected joy, don't hesitate,"
In light of the really heavy stuff that has occurred this past week—and by that I mean mainly the earthquake in Turkey, but also, personally, I’ve found it to be an emotionally exhausting one. And I know I’m not alone on this.
Anyway, I thought I’d share a short poem about the importance of experiencing joy.
Because, no matter how fleeting it may be, we’ve got to relish it.
Events such as the earthquake remind us that nothing is ever guaranteed, and while there is often a lot that can get us down, there will be moments of joy, too.
Random, perhaps. Unexpected. So small that they can be overlooked or lost amongst the noise of everything that could be going wrong. But they are there.
For me, this past week, my little moments of joy have included:
a deep conversation with a friend
sharing one of my poems in a new writers support group
settling down to watch an amazing T.V. show (The Last of Us - Episode 3!)
giggling with my children about something so silly that it reminded me of their pure innocence
finding an old notebook I thought I had lost
a truly tranquil and restorative śavāsana
and, no doubt, seeing my eldest return from his first residential trip later today, because I cant wait to hold him!
So, there we have it. Again.
The realities of humanness.
Of life.
It’s the rough and the smooth, and love still being the way - the only way.
So, until next time, wishing you a Friday with some (if not many) joyful moments.
xx
Don’t Hesitate BY MARY OLIVER
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.