To say it has been a while would be an understatement, but I will say it anyway - it's been a while.
Much has happened in the world in my (unnoticed) absence from the blogosphere. I don't need to spell things out here; it's likely you're all too familiar with the guts of a pandemic life.
Meanwhile, in an old villa in Mount Albert, this just-turned-twenty-four-year-old has found herself reacquainted with something she didn't see coming: joy.
Joy, friends. It has re-entered my life in one big wave, pushing seemingly-incurable sadnesses aside with ease. Despite the resurgence of old worries and the appearance of new ones, joy has been my constant companion over these past couple of months. She's a hardy creature and I think she's here to stay.
My favourite place to encounter Joy? On my daily walks around my neighbourhood. These had all but disappeared in recent months, having been replaced with runs (another story for another time). But frequent colds have led me to slow down with the running over the last couple of weeks, and I have returned to making my way through the neighbourhood at a more leisurely pace. Spring hasn't been shy about making its presence known. Every garden is in full bloom, every park filled with ducklings and bunnies.
On Monday I pulled dinner out of the oven and shouted instructions to my flatmates as I ran out the door to make the most of the last hour of daylight. I decided to wander through Unitec, a favoured route this year. I listened to Kari Jobe's new album, focusing on breathing out the tedium of the day and taking in the impossible greenery around me.
Near the end of my route, I entered the community garden that I'd walked through so many times earlier in the previous months. Then, it had been sparse and barren, and I had walked through neat rows all ready for the growth that was to come. Now, the garden had exploded into a wild and vibrant maze, flowers and vegetables bursting everywhere out of their enclosures. I wandered slowly, unable to keep a stupid grin off my face. I sat and paid attention to the Tuis and the Goldfinches singing and flittering through the trees. I even discovered a whole new section of the garden that I hadn't seen before, filled with beehives and more vegetables.
Pink flowers waved to me on the footpath, a cool breeze was setting in for the evening and everything around me was green, green, green. It was a perfect Joy encounter.
Life, for various, reasons, is hard at the moment. I am on the cusp of many new things and the transition period (or searching period) hasn't been easy. But God, in his kindness, has given me the gifts of neighbourhood walks and longer daylight hours and shared meals with friends - in other words, pure joy.
If you need me I'll be right here, drinking it in.
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