Thoughtful Thursday & Lean Into It

Hello friends!

Years ago, I was picking up my youngest daughter, Jenna, from preschool.  

 If you know her, you know how full of life and light she is. 

When she was little, she was a bundle of energy.  

Usually, when I would pick her up from school, she would come running to the car smiling and waving, eager to tell me about her day.  

Well, this particular day she wasn’t running or smiling.  

She slowly walked to the car with her head hanging down.  

It was easy to see that she had had a bad day.  

As she climbed into the car, I asked her how her day was and she replied, “Not very good.”  

I asked her what was wrong.  

She informed me that she had gotten in trouble that day and had to go stand in the hallway for a time out.  

She had had trouble following the rules that day. 

She was devastated.  

I asked her if there was something we could do to cheer her up.  

I made a few suggestions and even suggested that maybe we could make some cookies when we got home.  

She looked up at me with the saddest eyes and said, “Nothing will ever make me feel better.”  

When we got home, I carried her in and gave her a big hug.

I then sat her on a stool next to me as I began working in the kitchen making cookies.  

She sat there so sadly.  

Some time had passed and she quietly got down off the stool and wandered into her room.  

Pretty soon I could hear her playing with her dolls. 

I could hear by the sound of her voice that she was becoming happier.  

A little while later, she came into the kitchen playing and talking with her little dolls as if nothing bad had even happened.  

It appeared that she had totally forgotten her sadness.  

As she came close to me, she stopped right in her tracks and looked up at me with this happy yet surprised look on her face.  

She said, “Mom, I’m happy!”  

It was as if it had just donned on her that yes she really could feel happy again. 

I know this is a simple, silly story but there is a great lesson here.  

It is this.

We are meant to experience all emotions.  

We will experience things like sadness, disappointment, and grief. 

AND

We will also experience peace, love, and happiness.  

All of this makes up joy.  

Without the bitter, we would not know the sweet.  

My little Jenna experienced joy because of the contrast.  

She had to allow herself to feel sad so she could really feel the happiness.

As we lean into the uncomfortable emotions, as they come, we can allow ourselves to feel them knowing that they are what move us through our life experiences.

I talk more about “leaning into it” on this week's podcast.

Listen to this week's episode to learn more!

Have a joyful week!