(not necessarily in that order)
There was lots of joy in the Temple of Light this morning as we sang “There’s Joy in the Heavens.”
I was particularly gratified to hear (and feel) how “tight” the ensemble is sounding. My favorite thing is being able to completely relax and simply enjoy singing with the group…and that most definitely happened today.
At a certain point I find myself wondering, “Just how much inspiration can a person take in, anyway?!?”
Because come Friday afternoon of SRW I often feel like I can’t absorb even one more insight, one more bit of wise guidance, one more heartwarming story.
But the truth is that — somehow! — there’s always room for more, especially when it’s so filled with joy. π€ΈββοΈ
My voice is a little out of shape — it’s been two months, after all! — and my lingering cough didn’t help matters.
But what a joy to be singing for Sunday service again!
Saturday before last we learned that there was going to be an Ananda event here in Lugano. We knew that our Ananda friends Jayadev, Arudra, and Ruby would be there.
Well, tonight we attended that event and were thrilled to find a number of dear Ananda friends in attendance — starting with Peter, Aanadi, Triveni, Rita, and Monica; but including many new “old” friends that we were meeting for the first time.
It’s always a thrill for me to experience the joy of being with spiritual family no matter where I am in the world.
This photo captures the essence of why we’re here: the joy of being together after almost four years.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Ramesha’s father, Silvio, quite this happy before; he’s absolutely radiant with joy.
That’s what tonight’s performance of Christ Lives: An Oratorio was: an experience beyond words!
In fact, we had to invent some new ones to capture how we felt when it was over.
Instead of “shell-shocked”, we were “JOY-shocked”; and instead of gobsmacked, we were “GOD-smacked.”
It was such a powerful experience that I can’t even write about it yet.
Today we enjoyed a pancake feast to end all pancake feasts!
Not only were Pavani’s pumpkin pancakes beyond delicious, but we got to share them in company with some of our dearest friends.
What joy!
I still find this to be the perfect image to accompany my sense of joy and relief at getting my 2nd dose of the COVID vaccine.
It’s certainly been an interesting process, having to repeatedly remind pharmacy employees that I’m getting the primary series, not a booster. Which sometimes means waiting longer; like today, when they thawed out the booster instead of the 2nd primary dose.
Oh well, bottom line is — I got the jab. Yay!
It’s taken me until today to finally feel the reality of starting a new year.
2022 was definitely another doozy of a year and we’re quite content to release it, with deep gratitude for its blessings, lessons, and tremendous spiritual growth.
Now it’s time to look ahead to 2023, which I pray will be filled with boundless love, infinite joy, vibrant health, and abundant prosperity for us all!
I was scrolling through Facebook this morning, when a friend’s post reminded me that it was the 21st of September — time to boogie!
Of course, I remember this Earth, Wind & Fire song from when it was released back in 1978, but I’ve never really tuned into the fact that many people all around the world have been celebrating the 21st of September like a holiday ever since.
When I put it on this morning (with earbuds, of course) I felt instantly happy.
Then I listened to it again this afternoon and even danced around the room a bit (making up for the walk I didn’t feel up to taking).
Then I found various videos of people dancing to the song and decided this would be the focus of today’s blog post: how a simple pop song can embody so much joy that forty-four years later people are uplifted when they listen and/or dance to it.
This video from Japan is particularly fun. So much energy!