I’m honored to serve on the board of Omega Institute, one of the “thin places” in our midst, a place that helps to connect both inward and outward, whether you are there in body, in spirit, or in wifi. Elizabeth Lesser, co-founder of Omega, author of Marrow, and TED speaker, shared the poem below at our recent meeting, and it has stuck with me in the days since.

Ode to the Joyful Ones, by Thomas Lux

Shield your joyful ones.    

         – from an Anglican prayer

That they walk, even stumble, among us is reason

to praise them, or protect them—even the sound
of a lead slug dropped on a lead plate, even that, for them,
is music. Because they bring laughter’s
brief amnesia. Because they stand,
talking, taking pleasure in others,
with their hands on the shoulders of strangers
and the shoulders of each other.
Because you don’t have to tell them to walk toward the light.
Because if there are two pork chops
they will serve you the better one.
Because they will give you the crutch off their backs.
Because when there are two of them together
their shining fills the room.
Because you don’t have to tell them to walk toward the light.

At first reading I thought, oooh, I need to find me some Joyful Ones. But you know what? They are all around us, and within us, too. Now I am wondering more about that first line: “Shield your joyful ones.”

We squash joy so often – others’ and our own – in the name of practicality or cleverness or simply being in a hurry. What if we shield it instead, curling ’round it in shelter, like we do for a flame in the wind?

What if we let joy shine?

 *  Thomas Lux passed away earlier this year – you can read a bit more about him in this lovely tribute from The Atlantic.

** We are on to the next chapter for Honeybee!  You, dear Sunday readers, can get a sneak peak at our lovely new website today.  We are just putting the finishing touches on it before its full reveal, but since you are family we thought we’d give you the first look – with thanks for your ongoing friendship. Shine on!