""I am learning to find joy right here in the mess of things.""

In the most subtle things,
may you find real joy in living;
in hallways and intersections
and all of the world’s imperfections,
there are still these places
where The Light gets in.

Even when you are weary,
keep looking.
keep searching.
And at the end of the day,
you will realize
you found so much joy
in merely searching for it
and perhaps, that is exactly
what joy is about.

I hope you have unbridled joy when you think about the beautiful, glorious things that have yet to be revealed to you, and I hope you also have that same joy for this present moment. I hope that whatever makes you smile on those almost-perfect days when so many things seem to be going your way, that you find the courage to smile on days like this.

And perhaps it will not seem as special and maybe “being present here” is not the easiest thing, but I promise if you keep looking, you will start to see the places where Light is pouring in, reminding you again and again, even while you are waiting you are free to have joy here.

Let your pursuit of joy be a small, yet rebellious act within the shadows that says, “perhaps, even here, I can still know deeply rooted happiness. I can still have hope for the future. I can still find a meaningful life worth living, right here in the present moment.” Let joy show up in unexpected laughter. A choice to wear the brightest color in closet for no reason. The decision to take the scenic route home just so you can take a look at the Light pouring in through the trees. A choice to eat your favorite meal even though you haven’t done anything to “deserve” it.

Let joy show up in your interactions with others by bringing joy to them. You know that non profit you have been meaning to donate to? The friend you’ve been meaning to support? The co-worker who has been going through a hard time, who might really appreciate an encouraging text?

There are so many opportunities to find joy when we are where we want to be, but there are also so many opportunities to find joy right here in the messiness of our everyday lives. We can find joy when we are with our favorite people, in our favorite city, or in our element, and we can also find joy right here, in the in-betweens. We can choose to believe that the small things we do that reflect a sense of joy matter and have value, even in unknowns. We can see all of these opportunities as reminders that Light is still pouring through, even while we are waiting for so many things to fall in place.

More tomorrow…

Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols