Rediscovering Our Joy
Sometimes we can get so caught up in the scramble of shopping or the stress of seeing family, that we lose the joy that we once felt this time of year. Perhaps our joy was related to a specific holiday or holiday tradition or maybe it's just the seasonal shift into winter. I encourage you to take some time when you read this to pause and think about what you LOVE about this time of year. And yes, there can still be many difficult things, AND there can also be JOY. What lights you up? Makes you feel like a kid again? It can be something small or large. Here in Detroit we recently had the first snowy weather that stuck to the ground and I went on a hike. I LOVE the crunch of fresh snow underfoot and that clean, crisp smell in the air.
Perhaps there is a holiday tradition, a new or old ritual, that sparks a warm, fuzzy feeling. Making latkes, decorating the christmas tree, lighting the menorah, hanging stockings, making gingerbread houses, lighting the kinara, drinking hot cocoa, lighting a yule log, kissing at midnight. These rituals have MEANING, INTENTION, FOCUS & SPECIFICITY infused within them that make them special and give us joy. And if traditions you grew up with are a source of pain or trauma, perhaps this year can be an opportunity to create a new ritual, just for you, that sparks wonder and joy.
Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash