About a year ago I heard the Resistance Revival Chorus “This Joy”. I listened it to it multiple times a day for probably months in a row. It got me through a lot of the pandemic. I still listen to it regularly. If you have never heard this version (or have never heard the song at all), give it a listen. You will be hooked. The original is by gospel singer Shirley Caesar.
This is a season of the year where we are frequently reminded to practice gratitude, to articulate the people and things for which we are grateful. I have been working on this especially the last couple of weeks as a means of mindfulness and being aware.
Today I spent most of the day at our church retreat. Even though we have a high vaccination rate among our members, we spent most of the day outdoors. I haven’t spent so much of a day outdoors in a long time. We walked, we played Quidditch (for which my body will hate me tomorrow) and I spent some time just laying (lying? after all this education, you’d think I could remember) on the leaf-filled grass, looking up.
I did not grade policy tests, do lesson plans, create a community practice exam or make follow up phone calls for some community work. All the things on my to do list for today because they didn’t get finished over the week. I will do some of them this evening, but it will not take away from the joy I had today.
I laughed, I watched my children, and really enjoyed the sunshine. I rested.
I got into my car to come home this evening, and this song was the first I found in my playlist. What a lovely end to my day of rest. I am so grateful to have had this day. I needed it.
If you want more info on the science of practicing gratitude, check out:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
Teaching (toward) Beloved 