Demonstrations of JOY

Each week we focus on one of our seven community values, and those of us that choose to share how the community value is showing up in their lives. This week our community value is joy. How is JOY showing up in your life?

Mary Jane: I attended The Longest Table yesterday at Howard Community College and for those of you who've never been, everybody comes together to share a meal and have an experience of people they don’t know. While you're sitting and having this family meal, you answer questions about different things. It was extremely joyful to experience that we're all the same. Yes, we're individuals and we each have wonderful stories, yet all the stories have a similar underlying. It was just so joyful to make these connections.

Gabrielle: I'm joyful that I was able to find a whole bunch of books to share at the festival. So that's what I'm joyful about, that I'm able to share things that have meant so much to me, and now I'm ready to share them and hope they mean something to somebody else.

Megan: I think, to some extent, joy is a signal for me, like just noticing, "Huh, there's no joy here," And not necessarily trying to find it because that often leads me in the wrong direction, but rather just relaxing inward until it just shows up. It's like a wellspring.

Dale: People who care about me have been showing up and sharing themselves with me. I have been going to live music venues. I've done two in one week and I'm going to do a third next week. The joy that I feel at the end of these moments just fills me with bliss. I'm just so grateful. Joy is gratitude, happiness, love, inclusion, all of it.

Evelyn: I had a very sudden power outage at home yesterday evening, and I was told the power wouldn't be back on until 6:45, which was just not good for me. So, I kept affirming that the power will be back on by 6 o'clock and at 5:45 it came blasting back on.

MaryAnne: Joy is being on vacation.

Rev. Rafe: Megan’s comment about “there's no joy here” reminded me of a story that demonstrates there's an opportunity to infuse joy where there's no joy. We were driving down the road one day and Debra was making a phone call to somebody named Joy. When the phone was answered Debra said: "Hi, is Joy there?" to which the person on the other end of the phone literally yelled, "There's no Joy here!" to which Debra said smiling, "Clearly! And I hope you get some. Have a nice day.” So even when there is no joy here, we can infuse some.

So in summary, JOY is everywhere and we get to be it and experience it when I allow it.