Final Friday Roundup April '25

Opening the doors to joy, "building a safe harbor on purpose, and inviting joy to sit down and stay awhile," and looking back to those that came before us for inspiration.

Photo by yoursandmineproductions.com taken at Santosha Yoga Collective in Loomis, CA

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I've made some radical choices in my life, heading toward Joy because, midlife, I saw joy for what she was: the secret to a fulfilling life. She's never led me astray.

Joy, a constant possibility that flows throughout our lifetime, is like the sun's warmth. It never precludes sorrow or promises happiness; instead, it is a perpetual presence that keeps the darkness at bay and offers us hope and optimism.

Joy might just be our saving grace, a force to be reckoned with, inspiring us to keep fighting.

I wrote last month about

Jane Ratcliffe

’s interview with Martha Beck and

Ramona Grigg

’s recent post. Both women exposed the topic of joy as an anecdote to our current world affairs. I've been thinking about joy ever since and have dedicated this Final Friday Roundup to the topic.

When joy knocks on my door, I celebrate her return and thank the universe.

I invite you to mark your joyful territory and then protect it vigilantly.

Joy can be contagious. She also stays away when my thoughts dwell too long on the negative. So, how do I manage that reality? By planning activities that I enjoy as often as possible.

Really, it's about that simple. My mind can only concentrate on one topic at a time, literally. So if I'm working on my granddaughter's quilt, dreaming of holding her in my arms, my brain can't solve the world's problems simultaneously.

How blessed are we that our brains work in such a manner?¹ Imagine it's up to me to manage my brainwaves, allowing for all manner of thought. And, of course, it's essential to spend time keeping up on world events and doing what I can toward an end, but it's also important to take care of my spirit.

Here are the things bringing me joy in the last month.

I want to share two of my favorite Substack writers this month, Alisa and Paulette. Their comments on the topic of joy point out its contagious nature.

Last week, I wrote about

Alisa Kennedy Jones

' book Gotham Girl Interrupted in my post here. Her response about joy was incredibly beautiful, prompting tears.

You didn't just read Gotham Girl Interrupted—you metabolized it. You saw the weird little playlist and the garden-gnome collisions for what they really are: a makeshift blueprint for surviving the chaos with some humor, some grace, and ideally, a helmet.

And then you went and wrote about sewing. About quilting to your favorite shows, arranging fresh flowers, making something delicious with Rick, spending time in the garden and with dear friends. You've created not just a playlist but a whole ecosystem of resilience—stitched together in the quiet moments between heartbreaks and headlines. That is not just beautiful, it's radical. It's a kind of protest I deeply believe in: building a safe harbor on purpose, and inviting joy to sit down and stay awhile.

If the European Commission is advising us to prep for civil unrest with card games and canned goods, I say we add Tina Turner, a few episodes of Britbox, and a butter dish that makes us laugh. Because sometimes the best way to fight is to gather, feed, laugh, and fiercely keep going.

From one builder of bunkers-with-throw-pillows to another, thank you.

You can find the entire comment here if you'd like to read it.

Another note I loved was this one from my buddy

Paulette Bodeman

.

I want to be a member of the apocaloptimist club!

Sue Ferrera

, I think you're already in it. Thank you,

Gillian & Li'l Bean

.

True joy has no foe and cannot be extinguished.

Years ago, I read All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein, a book about joy coupled with hardship. Despite its horrific story, this book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of joy to lead us to redemption. It's a beautiful narrative that reminds us that even in the darkest times, joy is a light that cannot be extinguished. It's a story that has stayed with me throughout the years and I believe relevant for our times.

I’ve always loved this song from Elton John’s “Recover Your Soul.” Over the years, the lyrics have resonated on many topics, likely some that Elton wasn’t even writing about. They seem apropos at this time, and the video is beautiful.

Recover Your Soul
From "The Big Picture"
Baby you're missing something in the air
I got a name but it don't matter
What's going on, it's cold in here
You have a life but it's torn and tattered
Maybe you're losing pieces of your heart
You have a world but it stopped turning
You lose the day and gain the dark
Love was a fire but it stopped burning
Spare your heart, save your soul
Don't drag your love across the coals
Find your feet and your fortune can be told
Release, relax, let go
And hey now let's recover your soul
Lazy old sunset sinking like a tear
Alone at night in a losing battle
That perfect world is never clear
You have to fight for the things that matter

My dear friend Julie, whom I’ve written about numerous times, was the person who ignited my passion for cooking. Her fried chicken recipe, among many others, was a masterpiece that she graciously shared with me. The joy of cooking, especially when it's a dish as delicious as Julie's fried chicken, is truly uplifting. 

When Julie first passed, making any of her recipes stung a bit, reminding me she was no longer across the street or just a phone call away. But it’s been enough years now that making her fried chicken, apricot jam, or any of the many recipes she taught me brings me tremendous joy, reminding me of our good times together and our love. 

I mentioned Monday that we were heading to the Bay Area to visit some of our oldest friends. On Monday evening, I made Julie’s chicken at their house. I felt the familiar joy associated with cooking Julie’s chicken coupled with the joy that after so many years, we are still blessed to be together. We, of course, laughed to the point of tears, a given any time we gather. 

Our family recipes and time spent with treasured loved ones, it doesn’t get much better than that.

After a few months of writing these monthly roundups, I’m excited to start offering them exclusively to paid subscribers in May, both as a thank-you for their support and as a good-faith offering to share my more personal writing with a smaller community. If you’ve been feeling a little lonely or isolated, or if you just love my work and want to support me, I think you’ll get a lot out of these posts. I would so enjoy having you as a paid reader.

Wishing you all a weekend filled with activities that bring you— JOY!

1. Acknowledging that there are a wide range of diseases and disorders that might affect the brain’s functions and abilities.