Joy Shows Up In Pink

Joy shows up in pink,

because Hope and Peace

have dared to bloom

in the middle of winter.

When we breathe deep,

we make room for Joy,

like a long-awaited guest.

Windows open.

Space clears.

Tightened chests release.

Joy needs this oxygen

to refuse sorrow the final word,

to keep fear from deciding what comes next,

to trust the light,

even when it is small and fragile.

Joy is not soft.

Or passive.

Joy presses back.

Expanding circles,

pulling chairs closer,

building bridges,

and tearing down walls.

Everything is not fine,

and still Joy remains open.

Open to God’s widening love.

Open to one another.

Open to the possibility that even now,

even here,

even in us,

something holy

is being born.

The pink candle flickers.

Dawn is not yet here.

But it is on the way.

Joy is practicing its light.

Breathe deep.

Love wide.

Joy has come,

and it will hold us together.