Here’s a thing. I was reading one feminist criticising another and she accused her of being ‘joyless.’
It is a missing piece.
You can be campaigning for social justice, but if you’re joyless you’re a bit brutal.
You can be a brave single mum, but if you’re joyless, you’re just tired and hard.
You can be someone carrying heavy responsibilities and onerous duties but if you have not joy you’re just stressy and self-pitying.
You can be working hard for very needy people, but joyless, you’re not too attractive a person to be with.
Joy lightens loads and eases tensions. It makes smooth work of heavy work. Joy respects the opponent. Joy understands we’re all broken, all needy, all in pieces, only anything at all because we’ve been scooped up and smiled on and loved. Joy looks into the grimmness but isn’t itself begrimed. Joy peers into the depths of darkness but finds a spark.
Joy is the lube.