We Shake with Joy
by: Mary Oliver
We shake with joy, we shake with grief.
What a time they have, these two
housed as they are in the same body.
As the year of Mary Oliver draws to a close tonight, I thought it would be appropriate to end with probably one of her most well-known poems. It holds so much wisdom and perfectly suits this meditation on New Year's Eve, when everyone looks back on the joys and sorrows of the past 365 days and looks to the future. .
Let's start with grief. My loyal disciples may recall that I struggled many months at the beginning of 2023 with darkness. It wasn't until the beginning of summer that a little light started breaking through the cracks. I think it was due to an accumulation of emotions from the past few years of loss after loss after loss. For quite a while, I simply went through the motions of my days, my eyes buried in the ground in front of me. Because looking up required a certain amount of hope on my part, and hope was in such short supply that it was practically nonexistent.
Eventually, as the days grew longer, I began to feel something completely foreign and wondrous: happiness. Instead of looking down, I raised my head to the heavens and felt sunlight on my face. Slowly, slowly, the darkness receded, and I began to find small moments of grace each and every day. Sure, I still experienced sadness, It's impossible to be a human being on this broken planet without feeling isolated and angry and alone and sad every once in a while. Yet, I was able to find laughter and enjoyment again--with friends and family and the simple blessings of every day. Sunrises. Poetry. Chocolate. Music. Teaching.
Which brings me to joy: I have so much for which to be thankful in this past year. Healthy and happy family. Work that I enjoy a great deal with people I enjoy a great deal. Being named 2023 Writer of the Year at the City of Marquette Art Awards. A new, reliable car. My daughter graduating from college and moving on with the next phase of her life--medical school on the horizon. A son who is finding his way in the world. And friends, friends, friends who've lifted me up, given me so much love and support.
Mary Oliver is right. Joy and grief can and must coexist. You can't have one without the other. They define each other, the way shadow defines light. If you love deeply, you will mourn deeply. If you dance, eventually, you will weep. No getting around it. Oliver embraces the entire messy universe, celebrates each firefly and teardrop.
If you are in a dark place right now, know that light is coming. If you are clothed in light right now, throw your arms out and blossom into something beautiful.
Saint Marty wishes you all a Happy New Year!
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