A Burst of Joy!
A Burst of Joy: Giving Myself Permission to Celebrate
By Eric M. Chisem | #LearnedMan
This morning, September 30, I went to the beach with my book and a confetti popper. I came home with a moment I will carry with me.
Around sunrise, I twisted that popper, and the confetti burst into the air. What surprised me was how much I felt: joy, energy, excitement, and gratitude—all at once.
I had gone there to celebrate. Still, I don’t think I understood how much there was to celebrate until that moment.
My last day of work was June 29, and my first day of retirement was June 30. After more than 30 years in public education, I was beginning a chapter without the familiar routine that had shaped so much of my life.
On September 20, I celebrated my fifty-second birthday. Another year of life. Another opportunity to learn, love, grow, and be useful.
On September 23, the paperback edition of Sun After the Rain was released. Holding my book on that beach, I could see a story I had lived becoming something young readers and families could hold, read, and talk about together.
And there I was, one week later, wearing a hoodie that said “Choose Joy.”
That morning, I gave myself time to do exactly that.
Two amazing friends had included the confetti popper in a gift bag around my birthday. I want them to know how much that thoughtful gift meant to me. They gave me something that helped me stop, celebrate, and feel the fullness of this season. Kindness has a way of reaching further than we realize.
As the confetti burst, I thought about everything it took to get here. The years of work. The changes. The moments when I had to keep moving without knowing what would come next. I felt thankful that I was standing there, smiling, with new possibilities ahead.
Sometimes we move through our accomplishments so quickly that we barely experience them. We finish one thing and immediately start asking, “What’s next?”
I know that habit. There is always another idea, another responsibility, another goal.
But this morning, I needed to say, “Thank You, Lord. Look how far You have brought me.”
For me, happiness can rise and fall with circumstances. Joy reaches deeper into my faith and gratitude. Choosing it doesn’t mean I never feel sadness, disappointment, or uncertainty. It means I make room for the good that is here, too.
That is part of being KYND to myself: Keep Yourself Nurtured Daily. Some days, nurturing myself means resting. Some days, it means asking for support.
Today, it meant celebrating.
So let me ask you: What have you made it through that you haven’t given yourself permission to celebrate?
Maybe you started again. Set a boundary. Finished something difficult. Or simply got up today and kept going.
Give that moment some attention. Say a prayer. Take a walk. Share it with someone who loves you. Let yourself smile.
Today, I celebrated retirement, my birthday, my book release—and the gift of being alive to experience them.
Thank You, Lord, for life and new beginnings.
My heart is full. Choose JOY. And keep sharing those smiles.
Smiles R Contagious™.
#LearnedMan #SmilesRContagious #ABurstOfJoy #ChooseJoy #SunAfterTheRain #KYND #CelebrateLife #RetirementLife #Gratitude #NewBeginnings
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