At the end of a week that has been very heavy, I honestly wasn’t sure whether to post my regularly scheduled Small Joys. Is it okay to express positive emotions when so many people (including me) have been feeling the opposite of joyful; when multiple Black people have been murdered this week by people in positions of power; when so many are feeling traumatized and tired and angry?
As an empath who feels my own emotions and the emotions of others VERY DEEPLY, I have been learning over the years that it is healthy and right and good to feel the full spectrum of emotions, sometimes all at one time. That is life. And we are capable. We are capable of holding space for both grief and happiness, anger and contentment, death and life. So I do that today. I reflect on joy even in the midst of a time of great tragedy. It is more important than ever that we seek out good and refill our cups with the things that bring us joy so we can do the important work of dealing with the not good stuff too.
Here are the little things bringing me joy lately:
1. The Silent Patient. This novel by Alex Michaelides is my favorite book so far this year! It grabbed my attention, and I couldn’t put it down. Suspenseful and fast-paced! As a social worker, I really enjoyed all of the commentary on therapy and mental health.
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