Twinkle lights are the perfect metaphor for joy. Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments – often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down extraordinary moments. Other times we’re so afraid of the dark that we don’t dare let ourselves enjoy the light. A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy. That would eventually become unbearable. I believe a joyful life is made of up joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, inspiration, and faith. …Brene Brown
There are certainly some extraordinary moments in my life that were bursts of joy … the birth of my son, my wedding day, my ordination, and the day I was called as the minister of UUCG are days that stand out as especially bursting with joy.
There are also subtle twinkles of joy that appear in the midst of the ordinary, or sparkle unexpectedly during moments of darkness: A friend recently called to seek support during a challenging experience, and our conversation danced through sadness and humor in the spirit of love. Walking the dog on a particularly stressful day, I became aware of the absolute beauty all around me and the stress melted off my shoulders.
Twinkles of joy are born out of gratitude. In the gratitude I feel for the people, the animals, and the goodness that is all around me, I find joy. Knowing I share the trust of good friends to be there for each other during difficult times, I find joy. In the inspiration of a sunset, a poem, or a song, I find joy. In the faith I have in humanity and in the power of creation, I find joy.
During sad days, challenging weeks, or dark times we can almost always find one thing that we love about our lives … one twinkle of gratitude that reminds us that joy is within us if we dare to let ourselves enjoy the light.
Jan Taddeo
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I am so grateful that I was privileged to spend two of your extraordinary days with you and to share your joy! You have brought so much joy to UUCG and I am glad that you find joy in your ministry with us! And I think you are spot on with your comment that “Twinkles of joy are born out of gratitude.” During my darkest moments, I sought out the little things that made life easier, and learned that expressing gratitude gave me a sense of joy.
Beautiful metaphor, Jan. Thank you for the bursts of joy you bring to UUCG.