Return to Joy

 Day 4

Return to Joy

What a great time to feel joyful
about the small things we took for granted
that now loom larger, more meaningful in our lives.
We are back in school, some with masks.
We can climb the highest peaks,
meander through trickles of rivers and creeks,
soar through the sky in large and small planes,

eat peanut brittle and smores wherever we go,
go to libraries and choose any book to read,
attend school and learn so many things,
be comfortable in our own skin,
sit on the hood of our car at night
and watch stars streak across the sky,
wander throughout neighborhoods

or hills or ravines and be in awe
of God’s creations of flowers and rocks,
gaze at clouds and see animals and cool shapes,
write real letters and send them through the Post Office,
receive texts and messages from all over the world,
cram our mouths full of food and candy,
opt out of going anywhere,

just stay at home and watch movies,
call someone on the telephone
and have a real conversation,
be anything we want to be,
laugh until our sides hurt,
skip rocks along the smooth lake waters,
wear mismatched clothes and socks,

stay in bed until noon or rise as dawn,
eat pancakes for breakfast and dinner,
take photographs of anything that sparks our interest,
fill our palms with Elmer’s glue and peel it off in sheets,
use Crayons to write with instead of pens and pencils,
write poetry until the words
just ooze onto the page and stare at us,

be significant or insignificant, leader or follower,
dishwasher or CEO—and so many more things
that create joy or just allow us to return to the joy
we once felt, share it with others,
hoard it until it explodes within us
Joy can be ubiquitous.
If we choose it, allow it in, and embrace it.