Member-only story
Yes, You Are Allowed to Feel Joy When the World is in Pain
The world needs our joy, now, more than ever
When things are falling apart all around us; when the world is upside down; when so many are suffering so much, is it proper to feel joy? Do we, by experiencing moments of happiness, levity and delight, dishonor the pain that we, and others, are enduring? Is it selfish to find joy in the midst of the world’s sorrow? It can seem that way, can’t it?
I have been wrestling with these questions for a while now, and I have finally settled on an answer that feels right to me. The world needs joy right now. The world needs laughter. The world needs hope. We can keep hope alive by looking for moments of joy. Spreading joy is a gift that we can give to a broken, hurting world.
So I have made it a game to look for joy in my life every day. Joy comes in small packages, and small moments,and is easy to overlook. Sure, there is joy in big packages — grand celebrations, babies being born, promotions that we have worked so hard for. But most of the time, joy is abiding right beside us, quietly waiting for us to notice it.
