The delight will find you again
These are the things that are absolutely nothing and also everything, simultaneously.
There are things that are absolutely nothing and everything simultaneously.
Do you know what I’m talking about? The waffles that are in the shape of the Death Star. The first moody raindrop on a Tuesday morning. The sound of opening a brand new college-rule notebook and scrawling the first few words into it with a good pen.
None of these things will change the world.
But what if a silly waffle could make someone just a little nicer, a little more generous? What if that single droplet can flood someone with happy hormones that can actually, tangibly change a life? It’s been difficult to credit these small things lately, in the grave and enormous face of an unwell world. But, like little pinpricks in a water balloon, the small joys are once again trickling out, glistening in the sunlight of these summer evenings.
Restore those delights—but not the distraction. A peaceful cup of coffee is not peaceful if you believe, unquestioningly, that the world is peaceful. Context is the creamer that provides depth. Sugar, sure, but don’t let the sweetness trick your tongue into thinking that coffee is not bitter.
Armfuls of snuggles are not safe if your eyes are not, at least metaphorically, open. Or opening, or hoping to open someday, or trying to. (Okay I can’t help but say this here: our eyes should be open, yes, but perhaps bars and restaurants shouldn’t be).
All I’m saying is that the smell of very green grass singing under a morning sprinkler is still there, waiting. And some days, it’ll be just fine if you don’t notice it. But soon, when you’re tightly wrapped up in the folds of your own brain, it’ll wedge its way in most unexpectedly. And no matter how hard you try to disentangle yourself, the delight will embrace you once again.
It’s okay to find a blip of joy. But watch out—complacency might try to lure you in with its tractor beam.
Resist.
Next Steps: Drink a glass of water, drink a cup of coffee, breathe in some morning air, repeat. Calm yourself, and then become the storm.