This year, and this summer leading into this fall in particular, I have been happy. I’m perhaps the happiest I’ve been in my entire adult life. I will admit that it feels strange to say such a thing considering the number of deep griefs and challenges I’ve experienced in recent years, but that’s the odd beauty of joy: it is big enough to encompass all sorts of grief. I think it’s because grief tends to deepen joy over time.
Grief can’t be moved past, we move through it. We grow with it. We never leave it behind, and it never truly leaves us. Even on the brightest days it remains our shadow. And that’s ok.
You don’t need to experience trauma or have depression to be an interesting person. You don’t have to complain to have something to say. You don’t have to have a stance on every nuanced topic to be an informed person.
It’s ok to be happy. Laugh. Laughter is immeasurable.
There’s a reason Whitman said we contain multitudes, and I personally think he was underestimating.
Stepping Back 