When you encounter joy again, let it in. Let it in knowing that this does not mean you are ignoring the realities of all that remains unresolved right now. Instead, it means you are allowing yourself to remember what it feels like to enter into the kind of experiences that don’t have to explain themselves, amidst it all. Even when it is as subtle as a slowly rising sun, and the warmth on your skin is ever-so-gentle, may you know it still matters:
The laughter that reminds you: you are worthy of release.
The music that reminds you: you are free to feel the full range of your emotions.
The random story you share with someone you care about that reminds you: you are allowed to seek out moments where you feel seen.
When you experience moments like this, you do not have to write it off as “nothing.” These small moments may not be everything, but they still matter. These moments are still flickers of sunlight finding you again and again. Let any little bit of joy help you remember, recall, and continue to build upon what is good, restorative, freeing. – Morgan Harper Nichols
