Letās try something different.
June is coming to a close, and the thing I wanted to write didnāt get written, so Iāve made a list of joyful things worth sharing.1
The Shoes That Brought You Here
Itās a powerful metaphor that anyone will recognize if they were ever raised one way, only to realize their authentic self needed to follow a different path to find their deep truth and happiness.
Iāve been saying it everywhere and itās true: this one of the best things Iāve read in a long time. Gorgeous. My favorite Pride month read this year. š³ļøāš
When Wonder Lives in Our Scars
The Power of Owning Our Stories & Our Art.
Another favorite about the joys of being yourself.
Companions in Sadness, Companions in Joy
āDukh-sukhā is a common expression across Punjab and other parts of South Asia. In my family, we use it to express a sense of company found in sadness, tiredness, or stress: a companion who is not there to fix your worries, but to share in the feeling and ultimately soothe it, making way for something pleasurable and easier to endure.
Finding joy amidst loneliness, through shared food.
None of the above pieces are easy to read, I know. But joy is not always easy.
Sometimes, the hardest thing is to allow your emotions to come up in order to find joy at the other side of whatever youāre feeling.
Sometimes we experience uncomplicated joy - like enjoying ice cream on a summer day, or crunching leaves under your feet in autumn.
Other times joy brings other feelings with it - guilt, resentment, pain, sorrow. This feels weird and itās also hard; but stay with it, if you can. Allow your joy to be complicated, deep and complex.
Allow it to be gloriously human. Just like you are.
Small is where the best connections are made
Reciprocity, mutualityā¦ these are the words I am tired of sacrificing. I am tired of sacrificing the sincere joys of a small, mundane life at the Altar of Acclaim.Ā Thereās something so healing, I told Robin,Ā about seeing someone casually describe small things as valuable.
SmallĀ is where all the best connections are made. The intimate conversations. The tender one-on-one interactions. We make ourselves small enoughāwe get on our hands and knees if we must!āin order to peer at the stems and the dirt, and we imagine all the microorganisms rumbling and intersecting underground, nourishing the blessed soil. Thereās another word for this kind of small: Sacred.
Itās okay to be known by a small number of people, to have a small number of readers, a small number of friends. You are known by the people who know you. And so: You are known! Fully emerged. What youāre doing counts.
āThe sincere joys of a small, mundane lifeā is what I want the most. I have dreamed of acclaim and fame in the past, but once life knocks you down, and knocks you hard; once youāve lost some people and some parts of yourself, you realize that thereās nothing better than simple, small, everyday joys.
Nothing better than a life that allows for those joys.
š¬ Movies
The Fall Guy - Donāt listen to the haters - this is outrageously fun. Even more so because Iām a sucker for meta and the entire movie is a meta movie. And donāt get me started on all the actual stuntmen stuff. Just awesome.
Book Club: The Next Chapter - What I love most about his one - besides that itās fun - is the narrative that older people (and especially older women) are worth of love, romance and adventure.
Speaking of books and moviesā¦
If reading books was like watching movies š
šŖ Window Swap
WindowSwap is a place on the internet where people from around the world share the view from their windows to help someone else relax, focus, meditate and travel without moving.
Itās here to fill that deep void in our wanderlust hearts by allowing us to look through someone else's window, somewhere in the world.
I saw this on someone elseās blog - donāt remember where, sorry2 - and fell in love with it. Such a labor of love, kindness to strangers. This feels like having hope, like having faith in humanity.
šļøHow to travel without even leaving home
Whether youāre going somewhere new and exciting for the summer or taking a well-earned staycation, there are endless ways to venture into our world and plug into wonder. Saleem Reshamwala is a filmmaker, journalist, podcaster ā and an expert world traveler. And even though heās been to far and wide places, his hyperlocal and unique style of traveling will change the way you plan your next trip.
I shared this podcast episode last week, but it really deserves a mention here. Itās such a joy, so much fun. It really transported me to other places, in the most delightful ways.
š Self Centered
Besides the lovely reminder to look for things that help you find your calm center, thereās this, which is so fucking true:
Pride flags. My family and I recently went to Seattle for a wedding. We spotted so many Pride flags as we drove around the city. One of my twins said, āI know we can feel safe here.ā In that moment, I understood the true power of a Pride flagāto say you are welcome, you are safe, you are loved.
ā¤ļøš§”šššš
Jennifer also featured this gorgeous Pride flag by Transpainter and holee sheet I love it so much. All his stuff is gorgeous. I wish there was shipping to France, because Iād have already ordered this fabulous Queer Joy print. š„°
š³ May & June Quests
To round-up this round-up, letās look back to the latest quests for joy - you probably missed some of them, but thereās always time to look for joy. š
The Quest For Joy - the one that started it all. Because joy is not only possible, but necessary.
A Season of Hope - The joys and wonder of early spring.
The Joy of Everyday Rituals - Find connection and meaning in the smallest things.
That Being Home Feeling - The many joys of breakfast.
Reclaiming Lost Joy - Itās never too late.
Summer is Bullshit - Some ways of making it less of a crappy season.
Thatās It For Today!
Iāll be back with a new quest next week. In the meantime, tell me: is there any particular type of joy youād like to explore?
Until next time. āNospheratt
Inspired by one of my favorite artists, Austin Kleon
If you know where, please let me know and Iāll add a link!