more thoughts on joy.....

photo by rastudio.ca

this past Wednesday night I met Brother Emile from Taize, France.  Brother Emile has been a monk with the Taize community for more than 20 years, I believe.  He came to Canada this week to visit various cities and share about the theme of joy.  I found this very interesting as I have been contemplating this subject myself so much lately.
Brother Emile asked us two questions:
1.  Have you experienced something that is a companion to joy?  Does joy come alone or is there something else that comes with it?  (i'm not sure if I got this entirely worded the way he had it - but I believe this was the essence of his question.
2.  Is it possible to opt for joy?

We gathered in small groups to discuss our thoughts around joy.
When I thought of what accompanied joy in my own experience, it was the feeling of 'child-likeness'.  When I am truly joy-filled, there is a carefree element, a deep laughter, an abandonment of expression that I can only describe as being child-like.  This is very beautiful to me and it speaks of not being forced or manipulated.  Joy in this sense relates to inner freedom to be.
To opt for joy?  This is an interesting question and one to ponder...is joy a choice?
We all tire of people that are positive to an extreme that they are not facing reality.  This is not attractive and I don't believe holds the true meaning of joy.

Perhaps it was said best today in my studio.  A woman came to buy the Love shines CD.  She was drawn to the song, Winter is Over.  She told me that as she gets older, the season of spring becomes more and more meaningful for her.  She is aware of Winter - and how it is a great symbol in our lives for seasons of being barren, experiencing loss and death.  She told me that she has become aware that as she fully embraces Winter in her life, the JOY of Spring has become that much more intense and real for her.  This was so beautiful to hear from this beautiful woman.  She summed up all that I would want to say here by that one thought.....
Because of her acceptance of the darkness - she is able to fully enter into the celebration of the light....and the joy was all over her face.
To opt for joy - perhaps involves embracing our suffering, weeping with those who weep, singing with those who sing and dancing with those who dance.  In entering life fully in all that it offers, we will taste joy.

Singing with Rebecca; 

Winter is Over

Song Stories #8 for Love Shines

When I was a young girl, I loved to sing. I would often sing alone on Saturday mornings in the parish church that was on the same property as my home.  It was my job to dust the pews and window ledges but instead of working, I most often swirled my dust cloth around and watched the dust particles dance in the sunlight that streamed through the yellow stained glassed windows.   As I danced with the dust particles I sang. Those are some of the most precious moments of my childhood.   My singing was hidden to most, except for my well-intentioned father, the one who heard me in these moments.  He would ask me to be quiet as he prepared his sermon on the other side of the wall in his office.  A child can so easily be overlooked in the area of their greatest longing.  It has been a long journey back to find this girl inside of me, the girl who loved to sing.  She became buried under a lifetime of not really knowing how to listen to her own heart.  However,  I have found her again and the passion to sing has been reborn in me in a profound way.  When people hear me sing, they assume I've been singing all my life. I have to tell them - no, it has been a long journey to find my voice and to let it out again.

Rebecca Sichon is a 9 year old friend of mine - she's also a student of mine, studying singing and piano.  I love her dearly and I love seeing her passion for music.  I have seen how she feels music deeply and loves to express it through her voice.  She is emotional and expressive.  She has a heart to communicate ideas through music.  I want to encourage her to follow her heart, to listen to the passion she has and to fly with her dreams of singing.  I think you can see why this is important to me!
It was my delight to include Rebecca on the Love Shines recording.  you will hear her voice on a new version of 'Winter is Over'.  It couldn't be a more perfect song for Rebecca to join me on - here is an excerpt of the words:

the winter, long winter
is over
the winter, long winter
is over
sing, sing sing


winter is past, a new day dawns at last
hope for tomorrow
an end of sorrow
beauty for ashes
springtime has come


excerpt from 'Winter is Over' from the Love Shines CD


Rebecca has recorded a few other songs that were written together with her sister Natalie.  To hear some of these songs, go to:  Rebecca & Natalie