Uplifting Words: To all of us
Whatever is happening in your life right now, my prayer for you is for breath, perspective and joy: that you can take in great lungfuls of fresh air as needed, sparking some amazement for how that fuels us and also eases tense minds;
That you might slip outside the edges of all the rules into imagination thanks to favourite books or music or through the creativity of people who make shows for Netflix and Disney, or, even better, by dreaming about when this virus’s only starring role will be in our stories about the past, hopefully even in some funny ones, like “remember when we washed our groceries?”;
And, finally, that you can shake off all the usual unwieldy expectations we have for ourselves, because, as Anne Lamott says, “the world is too hard as it is, without letting your pants have an opinion on how you are doing,” and instead that joy sneaks up to surprise you at least once a day. Welcome it in.
Angela Reitsma Bick
Are you a parent, a tradesperson, an essential worker, or a student? Find uplifting words for these and more here.
Author
You just read something for free. How can a small Canadian publication offer quality, award-winning content online with no paywall?
Because of the generosity of readers like you.
Just think about Vincent van Gogh, who only sold one painting in his lifetime. How did he keep going? Because of the support of his brother, Theo. And now over 900 exceptional Vincent van Gogh paintings are famous worldwide.
You can be our Theo.
As you read this, we’re hard at work on new content. Like Vincent, we’re trying to create something unique. Hope-filled, independent journalism feels just as urgent and just as unlikely as van Gogh’s bold brushstrokes. We need readers like you who believe in this work, and who provide us with the resources to do it. Enable us to pursue stories of renewal:
