The message at church last Sunday was all about Joy. JOY. Seeking joy. Sharing joy.  And pausing to fully revel in joy when you unexpectedly stumble upon it. Be present in the spontaneous moments of mirth, “stop and snap a memory picture of them”. This struck a particular chord with me – I pack joy into our holiday calendar in the form of tree hunts and Santa visits and Christmas light tours, but I’m seeing there’s actually so much extra goodness to be found in the in-between times, if I just step back for a hot minute and let life happen. This past weekend was busy, with a company holiday party and a birthday party and a Santa visit and cookie decorating and a Christmas lights bonanza, but the moment that’s given me warm fuzzies all week long wasn’t a part of any Christmas programming. It was a Saturday evening and I was feverishly cleaning the house before our neighbors came over for dessert and Shane was blaring Chicago songs on Alexa when You’re the Inspiration started playing and he grabbed me for a living room slow dance.
“You know our love was meant to beeeeee…the kind of love that lasts foreverrrr…â€
I sighed at first, annoyed by the interruption (dishes to do!), but then channeled my inner romantic and leaned my head against his chest. Juliette stood by and grinned at the sight of the two of us swaying together with our hands clasped in some kind of slow waltz, and then she did the same – put her left arm around an imaginary waist and raised her right arm to hold an imaginary hand and swayed right along with us. She looked up at us both with twinkling eyes and then dashed to her room to grab her teddy bear to bring him back for the chorus.
“You’re the meaning in my life…You’re the inspirationnnn…â€
Shane leaned down and kissed me on the cheek and then Juliette kissed her teddy bear on the cheek in just the same gentle way and I nearly burst into tears with the goofy tenderness of it all.
JOY. I’m here for it.
