See the world with brighter eyes
Life is short. Fall in love with joy and wonder.
Welcome to your Saturday Side Quest.
Side Quest (noun), as defined by the Urban Dictionary: An impromptu adventure or diversion undertaken by an individual, typically outside the realm of one’s primary goals or responsibilities, often characterized by spontaneous actions and unconventional activities.
I hope this finds you enjoying a moment of calm amidst the chaos that I know is likely part of your daily rounds. Especially now. Even as the year winds itself down and the quiet coziness of winter creeps closer and closer, time seems to be picking up speed — sending us hurtling ever faster toward the holidays and the New Year. Do you feel it?
I am always conflicted about this season. The pretty lights and good cheer are lovely, but the pace of the festivities can be a bit exhausting. To be honest, I’m mostly looking forward to Boxing Day (which I typically spend in my pajamas, eating leftover scones and reading).
I think my subconscious anticipation of exposure to the desperately frenetic energy of the approaching holidays (Black Friday! Small Business Saturday! Cyber Monday! Giving Tuesday!) is part of what inspired me to write this week’s Thursday essay, “I had a vision of Death, and she was beautiful.”
Something in my body feels pulled toward the earth like an animal going to ground. I am longing for stillness and quiet and even darkness. My instincts are telling me this should be a time of rest and reflection, but here we are — once again revving our engines at the starting line of the most chaotic few weeks of the year.
Writing about death and the cycle of life felt calming. Nothing, after all, stops us in our tracks like the thought of death. And there is something peaceful and balanced about watching the natural world shed the finery of summer and autumn so it can curl into itself and dream away the season of ice and silence.
In response to Thursday’s post, Christina Patterson — who writes Culture Café — commented, “Those memento mori skulls and paintings that people used to hang on their walls served a vital purpose. Life is short and we need to remember that every single day.” This insight helped me make sense of my otherwise curious affinity for skulls and other death-adjacent aesthetics. (I am not a lover of horror or particularly Goth.)
Life is short. And precious. We need to hold that in our hearts as often and as tightly as we can.
We need to teach ourselves to recognize and fall in love with the small joys that inhabit each and every day. We need to look up to see the beauty that is all around us. And we need to open our hearts so they can be filled with wonder.
Life and death, whether literal or metaphorical, are two sides of the same coin. You cannot have one without the other. And having a relationship with death can make a profound difference in how fully you live your life.
Which brings us back full circle to the song from this week’s Monday Moxie: Peter Gabriel’s “Road to Joy (Dark-Side Mix).” Did you listen to it? I love the chorus: Back in the world — Walking down the road to joy. It feels like an invitation to come back to yourself and rediscover your joy, whatever that may be.
This week’s Saturday Side Quest, should you choose to accept the challenge, has two parts:
Pause. Just for a little while. Slow down. This is not a season for growth. It’s a season for rest. Give yourself a moment to just be. Remember that it’s okay to stop. And if stopping makes you think about endings and death, don’t worry. That’s the point. Reflecting on your own mortality can help you see the world with brighter eyes and a more open heart, and that’s when the magic happens.
Find some joy. It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant. In fact, where joy is concerned, I often find that the best gifts come in small packages. If you need some extra inspiration, might I suggest Cathy Joseph’s piece, Finding Joy, which introduced me to the idea of “snacking on joy.” Delightful.
✨ Extra Credit ✨ Come back and share. Were you able to pause? If not, what stopped you? What’s driving you on? Did you find joy? Where? Was it what you expected?
That’s all for this week. Thank you so much for being here. You have no idea how much it means to me to know that you’re out there reading these words.
Love the easy pace you prefer!
Yesterday I travelled half an hour to a salon I prefer, and afterwards decided to shop for a couple of fitted bedsheets for our campertrailer.
A queue to pay had about 50 people waiting in line!
I turned away, put my sheets on a sheld and walked out!
Christmas shopping gone mad already!
For years I've preferred slow, country style pace.
Commercialism of special times of the year has overshadowed the true meaning.
This year, I'll shop in the quiet of early mornings for the few items I need to find.
Usually I find suitable gifts throughout the year. This time, I'm a little behind. Mostly, we don't bother...just a get together is all we need!
I think I need to write a post!!!
Your mention of Boxing Day in pajamas with scones and a good book... that's my kind of holiday! It's so easy to get swept up in the frenzy of the season, but I love that you're giving yourself permission to slow down and embrace the quiet moments. It reminds me of a time when I decided to skip a big holiday party and instead spent the evening curled up by the fire with a stack of novels. It was the best decision I made that year.