I love transitional periods. This fondness makes today one of my favorite days of the year. The short last day of work before the break that starts another transitional period between the year we are finishing and the year ahead. Other than the time surrounding my birthday, this is usually my very favorite week.
It’s also joy season.
I mean, joy is for always. But I am paying particular attention to it these days, trying to find it wherever and whenever I can. I love this piece by Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes where she shares her secret for finding joy, especially this quote: “I cultivate joy as a discipline, attentive to finding it in life’s everyday moments, determined to ride this thing until the wheels fall off. In a death-dealing culture, joy is a form of resistance. I am decidedly oppositional in my joy.”
Seeing joy as resistance to the junk of the world is a nice motivation to pursue it more assertively.
Here are some ways I plan to do that over my break from work:
- Spending quality time with family and friends
- Making art (writing, music, baking, crafts, etc.)
- Reading for long, luxurious stretches of time
- Cleaning out the parts of my apartment that seem cluttered to make them cozy and functional again
- Unraveling my year and preparing for the new one
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, friends!
M. Suzanne Terry 
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