Feed Your Joy

Dear Christmas, 

It’s been a while since I wrote to you, 365 days, possibly 720. It’s not that I did not have time, it’s that I felt the creativity slip from my fingers as I dove into all the work surrounding me. I put everything else before the poetic rhythm my fingers needed on the keyboard. A lot has happened in the last year or two, but I know am not alone in that sentiment. 

The pandemic of COVID19 has challenged how we have operated our daily lives. With mental and physical challenges, there have been sensations of overcoming, loss, joy, sadness, love, gratitude, and hope. 

With countless accords of the people I love questioning the joy in life, I have paused and reflected on what joy means. Is joy within us? Are we constantly seeking joy? Are we expecting a dozen of aha moments a day to keep our joy train fueled and moving? Is joy a sum of what we believe is our happiness?

Webster defines joy as “a feeling of great pleasure of happiness.” As correct a statement as that is, I pose the question, what brings us joy? What is happiness? I believe, joy comes from the little things, and in my life, the little things have always become the big things. 

I love nothing more than to discover the latest in fashion- Ordering boxes to be delivered containing footwear, dresses, sweaters, denim- you name it, but those are things that don’t last. These materials provide a smile once or twice, but don’t make or break happiness. And, I do believe that happiness is an inside job. 

When we let the things that nourish or feed us slip away, we lose touch with feeling joy. The Christmas season is meant to fill us with joy and peace, yet for so many, the holidays remind of us of loss and sadness instead of hope and light. 

My husband lost his mother this fall. For decades, Christmas has been spent at the home he was reared in. This year, with the reality of days past, change and grief have surfaced, stirring emotions and memories, and reminding of the loss. 

With the loss we feel, do we doubt ourselves or our internal happiness? Of course, we do. The people we knew, the things we knew, the times we knew are no longer. Everything has changed. And we know one thing, with each year, change is inevitable. And for nearly two years, most of us have been adapting almost daily to pandemic changes, updates, and protocols. 

The past 365 days have been a continuous ebb and flow. 

As we gather, reminisce, laugh, and maybe cry, may we spark light into all those we connect with. This is the time of year where we think of others more than we think of ourselves. We hold loved ones close to our hearts. Christmas, how can pain and sorrow somehow feel more tangible, yet spirits be lifted brighter? The gift of the season is joy. Joy lives within. It all starts and ends with ourselves. When we feel joy, we can be a spark to all those we come in contact with. 

I know I choose joy in the simplest moments of each day. Wrapping my hands around a warm cocoa filled mug. Lighting the Christmas tree. Feasting my eyes on the sunset, dipping below the horizon in an array of color. Taking a walk in nature. Hugging the love of my life. Petting our golden retrievers. Writing. Laughing. Enjoying conversation and cocktail hour without technology present. Reading. Doing yoga. Cloudsurfing (aka flying). Baking or cooking in the kitchen. 

My moments, are my own. Only you know what gives you that deep-rooted feeling of joy. 

Whether your past year has been heavy or exhilarating, for the next 365 days, will you give yourself the best gift of all, feeding your joy?

Love, 

Mandy

#followyourtruenorth #feedyourjoy #merrychristmas