Some people are funny. They just are. They carry the same burdens, feel the same pain, and regret the same decisions. And yet they make us laugh.
It’s as though they’re watching a different movie. They go through their days seemingly unfazed by lower back pain, or who’s in the White House. They have a job to do no matter the times or circumstances: To spread joy.
If there’s a Joy Spreader or two in your life, count your blessings that the Hand of Life has sent them your way. Maybe your Joy Spreader is a child, or a tabby cat, or the late night comedian who will not be cowed. Whomever, however, you’ve received a priceless gift.
Or maybe your Joy Spreader is an old friend who’s no longer this side of the great mystery, yet visits you everyday with the reminder our days are numbered. So never miss an opportunity to have a belly laugh.
Thanksgiving is still a ways off, but if you’re a little behind in the gratitude department, set aside some time this week to reflect on the Joy Spreaders in your life. Imagine how much more difficult your journey would be without them, then smile a smile in their honor.
Oh, and consider signing up for the Joy Spreader in Training Program, where the curriculum is life, and the teachers are all around.
Joy is good. Gratitude is part of my daily spiritual practice. But I also think it’s part of my job as a human being and a UU to care about who is in the White House and what they are doing. I don’t want to be unfazed by injustice or a sick planet. I work to find balance.