
The Path of Joy
Lenda Letlaka
Description
“Oh no… I did it again,” I said shaking my head hearing Britney Spears sing me the chorus of ‘Oops I did it again...’ while talking to Steve Brophy on the most recent episode of the <a target="_blank" href="https://anchor.fm/lara-foster/episodes/How-to-be-Human-with-Steve-Brophy-e1h0n6q/a-a7o0jnp">How to be Human Podcast</a>. “I talked about the sh*t A – Gain.” He laughed, having just read my recent post ‘<a target="_blank" href="https://hedgeschool.substack.com/p/processing-our-grief?s=w">Processing Our Grief</a>’ for Hedge School.<br/><br/>Grief is not a stranger to either of us. In fact, many folx that I have come across in my life who are burning with a passion, who are alight and alive in the world have also traversed shame, trauma and/or grief in some form.<br/><br/>So why does it keep coming up?<br/><br/>To me, it’s a part of life that we can’t escape and I’d just rather face it (most of the time), than pretend like it’s not there. But <em>WHY </em>do we really talk about it? Ahhh… there she is, the gem underneath, the light in the lament, joy.<br/><br/>From the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy">Merriam-Webster Dictionary</a>:<br/><br/><strong>joy</strong><br/><br/> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noun"><strong>noun</strong></a><br/><br/>\ ˈjȯi  \<br/><br/><strong>Definition of </strong><strong><em>joy</em></strong><br/><br/><strong> (Entry 1 of 2)</strong><br/><br/><strong>1a: </strong>the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires <strong>: </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delight">DELIGHT</a><br/><br/><strong>1b: </strong>the expression or exhibition of such emotion <strong>: </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaiety">GAIETY</a