Joy

I have been laughing a lot lately. It feels like there are fewer instances when humor and happiness bubble up these days so I am trying to make the most of them, to claim joy when I can. Watching tv with my daughter Paige is one way I can harness laughter. She cackles with glee at the silly barbs on our favorite game show and giggles over the drama on our reality tv addictions. When she laughs I laugh with her, and it is a beautiful moment, every time, that shifts everything, if just for an instant.

Joy for me is filled up with all the little moments of the ordinary like jumping in puddles, appreciating the flavor of my favorite latte, or laughing with my kid. Joy is also found in those big moments, like the birth of a baby, the celebration of a wedding, and the homecoming of a long separated family member. We can’t celebrate those big joys like we usually do with baptismal lunches, big receptions, or holiday gatherings, but the joy of new life, of partnership, of family is still there even if our celebrations look a little different.

This season I’m celebrating joy as I can and knowing that soon and very soon we will be gathering again for those big celebrations be it a candle lit Christmas Eve or a potluck. And that will be it’s own special joy after so long apart.

-Eilidh