We Are Warriors of Joy
I want to write a little something about joy. And honestly, I’m self-conscious writing to you about joy because I don’t want you to think that I’m oblivious to the challenges our clients face or immune to the anxiety so many of us are feeling about, well, everything. I get it. Writing about joy feels like a real “read the room, David” moment.
Here’s the thing, though. We hosted our annual event, Powerful Together, last month with over 350 clients, staff, and supporters. We showed a video highlighting some of our amazing clients (watch it here), and their friends in the audience cheered and hollered. Music played, spontaneous dancing erupted. It was a party.
It was joyful. There’s no other way to describe it. We work with some of Philadelphia’s most vulnerable people, we’re in difficult and uncertain times, there are huge personal and structural challenges to overcome. It’s a lot. But when we come together—all of the people who make LSH such a special place—the overwhelming feeling is joy.
Now, if you’ll indulge a music-nerd moment, I’ve been obsessed with Nick Cave over the past year (picture my teenager rolling his eyes, but, then again, we all know teenagers don’t read emails). In an interview, Cave describes hopefulness as a warrior emotion, it battles and defeats cynicism and despair. That’s what joy does, too! What’s more hopeful than responding to isolation by building community? What’s more inspiring than facing down trauma and then dancing?
Fear and despair trying to take control? Nice try. You, me, our staff, our clients—we are warriors of joy! We build community, joyfully. We express compassion, joyfully. We create change, joyfully. Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for dancing with us.
Take care,
David Chiles
This story is part of Every Day at Lutheran Settlement House, a new series featuring stories from our Executive Director.
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