Finding joy, even when your heart feels heavy...
"You're not wrong, things are a mess, but there's still something left"
This past week has been a tough one for me. With all of the footage and news coming out of California right now about the raging wildfires and incomprehensible amounts of loss, not to mention some of my own difficult situations I’m dealing with, I’ve been feeling down. I have been worried all week that I couldn’t scrape together any sort of newsletter about joy that would feel anything other than a) callous in the face of other peoples’ suffering and b) disingenuous considering my own melancholy mood. But this morning I’ve decided to lean into my feelings and come to you with something from the heart.
I’ve written before about having a Joy Log – a list of the things you know are a slam dunk when you need a bit of a pick me up. All of my suggestions in that post still ring true to me, but I also recognize that some of them come from a place of privilege and opportunity. Not everyone can have the cutest cats in the world. (Hi, Peanut and Butter! Mamma loves you!) Not everyone has time in the day to sit down and read a good book or work on an art project. And maybe your feelings at this moment are just too overwhelming anyways. To some extent, that’s where I’ve been finding myself these past few days. My mind keeps ruminating on the stuff that makes me feel bad and distracts me in my quest to find a bit of peace.
Living in this sort of headspace is not sustainable for me, and so I’ve been trying to hone my focus on finding little joys when I can. Here are some of the moments I took notice of that have brought a bit of relief.
The birds rejoicing in the full bird feeders by my back door. The excitement and intrigue all those birds are bringing to my cats as they watch from their window perch. (Sorry for the cat buttholes below…)
Standing outside and taking a big breath of very cold air because it snowed in Atlanta this week. The joy that Atlantans are taking in this very rare snowfall. Also all the dogs who are so incredibly happy to be outside right now.
I’m also finding so much joy and hope in witnessing thousands of people coming together to help one another. My Instagram feed has been chockablock with posts, reels, and stories of people in and outside of California showing up for one another during this crisis. It just shows how our true instincts really are to help each other, to build community, to be there for each other in our darkest hours. Here are some of the resources I’ve seen:
A list of companies in LA providing free items to families in need.
Via the LA Times, a list of LA restaurants offering shelter, discounts, and food to evacuees and first responders.
It’s not just celebrities loosing their homes. There are so many regular people, including black and brown communities who have shaped many LA neighborhoods for generations, that are experiencing devastating losses. Here is a directory of GoFundMe links for displaced black families that you can donate to.
As some of you know, I have a lot of friends and connections in the music industry. MusiCares does great disaster relief work and is well worth donating to or reaching out to if you’ve been affected, or sharing with someone who’s been affected by the fires.
This link to Girlfriend Collective’s Regirlfriend clothing donation program is especially helpful if you want to donate lightly used, good condition clothing and you don’t live in LA, or if you don’t have the means to donate financially at the moment. They will send you a free shipping label that you can put on your box or bag of donations and drop off at the post office.
A list of therapists offering pro-bono therapy for those affected by the wildfires.
Via Secret Los Angeles, this article outlines organizations that are helping displaced pets and wildlife.
I’m happy to say that these are just a few resources and that there’s so much more help and mutual aid out there for those affected. If you know someone who could use any of these links, please pass them on.
Finally, I want to leave you with one of my favorite songs that gets me through hard times. If you’re having a hard time right now, know that you’re not alone and there’s always some joy to find, no matter how slight it may be.
~Joyfully,
Jess