Happy Wednesday To All TSJ Peeps ~
On the lighter side….
Since Mr. Tom needs to preserve his energy, “the boys” wanted me to show you a picture of them waiting for him again this morning. They want you to know they have brought playfulness and joy here at TSJ when such things seem hard to grasp.
You see, they think they are designated as “Sheeps for Peeps!” I told them there is no such word as “sheeps” but they told me to make it up anyway. I sighed and agreed that there is something divine about imagination. And healing too. (They don’t like the picture, by the way, because I wasn’t able to get the light right so you can see their little shining eyes.) But I said we all can use our imagination just a wee bit more since they live in our imagination anyway. Then in order to make them feel better, I had to assure them they are “real” to us and in us!
More seriously…
Things are sober here at the headquarters of late. Yet our lives are also still joy-filled. Twice this week in my “Sip it and Zip it” times of reading and meditation, I have been reminded that happiness is based on circumstances whereas joy comes from a deeper place within us. It always fascinates me when I get a message like that several times within days.
So this morning while I sipped my tea and zipped up the worry box brain of mine, I reflected on the mystery and grace of finding joy in the midst of sorrow and heart ache.
I think joy is cultivated whereas happiness is more fleeting and reactive to circumstances. . When you cultivate the soil you prepare it for planting seeds. And you invest in nurturing the ground for future harvest. So I am rediscovering that joy gets cultivated in the soil of relationships.
Tom and I are also relearning about what really matters in life. We use three F-Words to explain it . . . (no, don’t let your mind go there!) These are nice words: . . .
Faith, Family, and Friends.
And all of these go through easy times and tougher times when troubles need to be lived through and transformed. Transformation re-forms them into triumphs . . . little one-at-a- time triumphs. Such as … perhaps….celebrating the one time today you practiced holding your tongue for five seconds before you spoke and you really listened to what someone was saying or trying to say!
So I am not talking about choirs of angels singing “hallelujah” type triumph (although that would be nice right about now).
This week, we have had to face the realities of the increasing challenges that come with the ravages of Tom’s cancer. Those troubles along with the profound sadness we bear together at this time, compel us to practice staying focused in the here-and-now moments of our lives. So that is today’s story.
Each day is today’s story to be lived fully. We peeps are constantly melding together the “apparently good” moments and events with the apparently not-so-good ones. I use the word “apparently” carefully here.
Because I have learned before… and now feel like I am in an upper level course on this stuff… what seems good at the moment or what seems bad at the moment always has another perspective. How we see our planet looks different if we are an ant, a human or an astronaut in outer space and beyond.
But we cannot deny the reality of grief and its power to take the wind out of our sails and rock the boat of predictability.
Yes, it is our time to be in the valley. Fortunately, however, we are realizing the joy of well cultivated friendships and faith that has brought us through valleys before. We know in the depths of our souls there is guidance, grace, love, and strength being offered at the same time.
Thank you for joining us in digging deep when we need fresh wells of faith to drink from. Rest assured Tom and I are very much accepting this time to enjoy being together. While there is always room for miracles of all kinds, the greatest miracle is finding joy anyway!
Our copy cat boys wanted a picture of them from behind also.
Playing in the pastures and crossing the valleys too. How about you?
