Friday Joy: Hope in Tangible Form
Why I Needed Art, Parenthood, Writing, Beauty, & Growth This Week | No. 022
5 Bits of Joy
This rainbow painting created by a child currently residing at Missoula Family Promise. Family Promise is an organization that supports families with children who are experiencing homelessness. My own now-adopted children stayed with Family Promise for a time when they were young, and while I didn’t know my children during those years, it means Family Promise has an extra special place in my heart. My son and I volunteered there last Saturday during the children’s art hour through a partnership with our church, and it was one of the most beautiful experiences of our week.
Art is resilient
Art is brave
Art is inspiring
Art is a life force
Art is beauty from ashes
Art is hope in tangible form
My baby, doing this, most mornings. They say our kids learn more from watching us than from listening to us. Seeing how my 11-month-old baby loves to drink out of very large coffee mugs that cover her whole face, I’d say that is 100% correct. Don’t worry, it’s empty. This tiny woman has enough energy without me powering her up with caffeine.
Parenthood is hilarious
Parenthood is exhausting
Parenthood is rewarding
Parenthood is a leap of faith
Parenthood is living in the moment
Parenthood is hope in tangible form
A 56,000 word book draft (Draft 3-ish) is ready to be edited into Draft 4-ish. Okay, this one is what some would call “burying the lead.” I said I would announce a Big Project in 2025, and well, I guess smack dab in the middle of this random Friday listicle-essay-poem-photo collection — here it is! Yep, I am writing a book(!) It’s shaping up to be a collection of essays and reflections from our first five years as foster parents. Turns out, writing a book is hard for 84753 different reasons (who knew?), so it’s taking a while. I’m hoping it will be published in 2026! But, for now, here’s a beautiful joyful draft in all its messy and unfinished glory sitting on my likely-sticky kitchen table (crowd in my head + my mom roar).
Writing is freeing
Writing is maddening
Writing is power
Writing is a risk
Writing is noticing the world
Writing is hope in tangible form
Flowers planted in potholes by the “Pothole Bandit” - In our town, we joke-not-joke about the awful potholes in our roads, mostly due to Montana’s wild and fluctuating weather. This picture is from a few years ago in our town. A person, known as the “Pothole Bandit,” decided that instead of the potholes being sources of annoyance, frustration, or something to complain about, they would plant flowers in the potholes. Just for beauty’s sake. To leave something better, even if just for the short window of time they would last. Since it’s Mother’s Day week, I remembered this story, and I thought, don’t all mothering women do this? Don’t all mothering and caretaking and nurturing women make things that seem impossible to love beautiful? Don’t they plant flowers where others may only see a pothole? Here’s to the mothers of all types — the ones who make beauty and spread love and bring hope and light to the darkest of places. You are needed today and everyday.
Beauty is vital
Beauty is subjective
Beauty is transcendent
Beauty is a glimpse into heaven
Beauty is a path through the darkness
Beauty is hope in tangible form
Reminders this week how much my children have grown in every way. This week, my sixteen-year-old got hired for their first job and got their driving learning permit (yep, just all the sudden, we have a working, driving, too-grown-up person around here. I’m fine.) I’m so proud of who they have grown into and how many obstacles they have overcome to make their way in the world. This is a photo from three years ago, right after we first met them, on a lovely wildflower walk in the woods. They have grown in every way, despite all the odds stacked against them — and even more, they are simply beautiful souls.
Growth is joyful
Growth is painful
Growth is admirable
Growth is a privilege to witness
Growth is a thing to celebrate
Growth is hope in tangible form
This post was inspired by last month’s featured guest post where fellow writer Melissa wrote about joy that is quiet, messy, and nestled into the noticing of the everyday. What’s bringing you joy this week? I’d love to know. Thanks for the inspiration, writing friend! Guest submissions are still accepted for consideration at this link.
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An employed driver!? That's great!
Insightful and amazing, as always💜Can't wait to buy the published, probably not sticky, version😉 Love you all💜