The 3rd Annual Hearthside Holiday Series

I am so tempted to start this post with a quote. Or a definition of joy. Or both. But, for all of our sakes, I will resist. Many of you know that it has been a long and challenging year for me. I shared very briefly about that in my post Time for a Change - Returning to the Kitchen after a Season of Grief. And while the choice to host the third annual holiday series (yay!) with some of my favorite guest authors was an easy one, choosing the theme of Joy was a bit less so. Yet I could not think of what other theme to pick.

Joy must be the throughline of this holiday season. When it comes to the holidays we expect happiness but we need joy. The two must not be confused. Especially as the years wear away at our childlike wonder of seasonal celebration.

Joy is part of our inmost being. Joy endures the hardships. Happiness is a feeling that comes and goes. We may seek after happiness but joy is cultivated; chosen. In times of trial, one must intentionally continue to reset their focus on joy.

“In times of trial, one must intentionally continue to reset their focus on joy”

— Gwendolyn Smith

Repeat the Sounding Joy

There’s a scene near the end of The Family Stone where Sara Jessica Parker’s character is finally realizing who she is in the face of the overwhelming, yet kind, family of Stones. Ben has helped her to realize it's ok to embrace who she is. And she hums “repeat the sounding joy” and then so does he, almost surprised. They both seem to understand that despite the chaos and painful moments they've just experienced, joy can be their throughline.

And perhaps I’m interpreting the end scene in this way as my husband and I head into a holiday season while grieving the loss of a parent for the first time. Regardless, the scene continues to come to mind. As does this idea of continually choosing joy. So I am borrowing from the classic hymn “Joy to the World” and setting Repeat the Sounding Joy - the phrase repeated three times in the second stanza of the hymn - as the theme for this year’s holiday series.

It can be easy to understand why the holidays lose their shine as we grow older. And yet, after facing what often feels like a conveyor belt of life challenges, I want to return to the childlike wonder that filled the holiday season when I was a little girl. I realize the folly here, and that they can never quite be overflowing with the magic they had when I was young. But the holidays can hold great depth and joy. And they are a fantastic reason to continually choose joy at the end of a challenging year.

This holiday season, I am choosing joy. I hope you will, too.

Guest Post Line Up

Join me in welcoming this amazing line up of guest authors to the Hearthside this holiday season as we explore the concept of joy through a variety of lenses. Over the next six weeks you’ll be hearing from these guest authors and I encourage you to follow along, reflecting on joy in your life this holiday season:

Alyssa Statdlander sharing thoughts on the joy in mystery the holidays can hold.
Julie Lefebure offers encouragement and tips on how to be less distracted and live joyfully.
Joy Marker shares how to set realistic expectations so we can experience the joy of being fully present.
Tiffany J Marie shares on the joy of being an adult without children during the holidays.
Pamela Henkelman shares on the joy of gathering and cooking with adult children.
Rachel Schelb offers encouragement to enjoy the simple things such as the joy of giving Christmas cookies this season.