on joyfulness...

For the last few years I've started each day with a written Metta meditation. There are times when it's a struggle, when the day's expectations loom large or the morning is dark, snowy, and cold. But my notebook draws me in. Each fresh page with its twenty-three neat ruled lines gives me focus. And I begin…

May I be healthy and strong.
May I be safe and protected.
May I be peaceful…

I write on, filling one page of my notebook each day in a seven day cycle. On day two I write for my home and my family, on day three for my neighbourhood, then my city, country, planet Earth, and finally the entire Universe and all planes of existence.

In the early days of my practice, there were often a few free lines left at the bottom of the page but now my words almost always spill into the margins. I like this new exuberance, this breaking free. And I've discovered something about oft-repeated written words. For me, they begin to look and feel like their meanings. I savour each word as it flows from my pen. And the best word of all? Joyful. The rush of lightness in its loops and curls gives me an almost physical jolt of pleasure. I sometimes find myself anticipating joyful when I should be concentrating on another sentence. This concerns me a bit. In meditation, we're supposed to let go, cease grasping, release worldly thoughts, and simply be. And yet, what better way to start each day than with an abiding sense of wonder and joy?

When I thought about how to express this feeling, I began looking through my photo library and came up with a few images that, for me, perfectly define joyfulness.

Peace and Joy
(Quiet and still, beauty in nature.)

Reflected Joy
(Sunlight sparkles on water, reflects on feathers
and, oh, those adorable orange feet!)

Boundless Joy
(My grandchildren at play.)

Thank you for reading and may you find your perfect joy.