“Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of it’s plenty.”
There is plenty of joy to be had.
At least according to Mary Oliver.
This week, as we finish up the Fall semester and enter week three of Advent, my focus is on joy.
Or at least I’m trying to make it my focus.
I admit it’s particularly hard on a Monday morning!
Knowing Mondays can be challenging (for me at least), what better way to start Monday off than with this poem by Mary Oliver that speaks to finding joy no matter what.
I love this line that happens midway through after Mary Oliver has mentioned all the crud that could get and does get in the way of joy.
She says:
“Perhaps [joy] is [life’s] way of fighting back…”
This morning is the first of many days to remember SO many things for my boys at school (at least the two at Catholic school).
Today is “Christmas hat day” alongside black pants for Christmas play rehearsals.
I luckily found two elf hats in Walmart during my frantic weekend search of all the special things they “needed” to wear this week.
The minute they saw them this morning, they abandoned their breakfast to put them on and chat about what it felt like to be elves. “My what big ears you have!” one said to the other giggling.
Despite my desire to direct their attention back to the breakfast table, I paused to just look at their happy faces and big fake elf ears.
And I realized that this was the joy that was not meant to be a crumb.
This is life’s way of fighting back.
May we pause to see these moments today and not be afraid of the plenty joy has to offer.
