Who Can Stop Us?

“The darkest night is nothing new.” -Wilco

Leave it to Jeff Tweedy – he who has had such success singing about darkest nights – to remind us of this. None of us are strangers to the dark hours, and depression has always been shrouded in a bit of mystique – myth of the Depressed Artist, and all that. But when you really think about it, isn’t the greatest work of art that of creating and sustaining a joyful life? Thanks, Wilco, for the reminder that our doom and gloom isn’t what makes us unique, or special, or interesting, or even artistic.

For our wedding, we chose a quote from a 12th century Chinese philosopher, Lu Yu: “Who can stop us from celebrating?” In the mad happiness of the wedding, the answer was decidedly, “No one!” (Ra! Ra! Pompons in hand!) But then life resumes and all the ordinary duties that come along with it and the answer morphs to: “Me, after a bad day.” “The bills sitting on the workbench.” “My fear of change.” “My fear of not-change.” So many celebration-stoppers come flooding to mind.

Here’s a list of what I do celebrate:
- Our garden. Specifically today, the potential garden I’m imagining for spring. First planting of the year coming up later this month.
- Music – Arcade Fire, Wilco, Yo La Tengo are all top of my list this week. Chris’s brother, John, bought us The Beatles box set for Christmas. The Beatles, oh, The Beatles. Better every year.
- Watching Chris play drums. First, the sheer coordination and skill and practice it takes to move all four limbs in different orbits. He’s like a whole universe revolving around a sunny set of drums! Second, the art of moving those limbs to make a coherent sound. Third, the high art of integrating (1) and (2) into the improvisational flow of live music.
- Reading. Particularly John Irving. John Irving is comfort food, a kind of anti-chicken-soup-for-the-soul comfort.
- My love of naps is positively feline.
- The use of my body – it takes what I mete out, whether that’s a weekend of yoga or an hour sprinting up fake stairs on a machine at the gym. There are many things that could go wrong and don’t.
- Cold! Bring back the cold! I will take it personally if there's no snow day this year!!
- My mind, when it’s not actively thwarting my every effort to change it. I’m trying to cultivate compassion for the fear I feel instead of disgust at my reluctance to change.
- My friends. I know - and am related to - the most amazing people.

- My husband. This week, after a particularly bad day, he fixed me a candle-lit dinner. Who else would I ever, ever want to spend my life with?

Who can stop us from celebrating? We can. Who can kick start that party right back up again? Why, we can!

This is overly simplified, to be sure. Sometimes life deals out plenty 'o shit, and all the ra!ra!s in the world can't lift the spirits. But two people this week reminded me of the yogic principle of santosa, or contentment, not as a state or a feeling, but as a practice. I want to reintroduce the practice of being grateful for what I have into my daily routine.