I am a person who rejoices almost daily at the smallest things. I’m gleeful in my acknowledgement of others in their moments of joy and gratitude as well. But I would have to be blind to my life to not see how quiet folks are when I truly have a “world-acknowledged” reason to celebrate: spiritual enlightenment, new publication, birthday, promotion, new home, etc. Over the past couple of years, I’ve come to realize that when people refuse to celebrate me, it’s more a reflection of their inability to truly celebrate themselves than a reflection of who I am as a person. When joy is present in a person, that joy expresses itself in daily celebrations of the lives around them.
I’m learning not to take it personally when people have no joy to share with me either for their own accomplishments or for mine. I admit to sitting firmly in my humanity in this area. I am finding it harder and harder to share my joy with people who choose not to share theirs with me. Let me note here that this is different from people who haven’t experienced joy or have none to give. Those people are in need of what I can offer and I continue to offer what I can. I am writing about the people who willfully withhold their joy while draining me of mine. Those are the people I have been stepping back from…
…Only to realize, I’ve had to step back from many, many people…. And I’m okay with that. There’s no worst feeling than running on empty because people have thrown out all you’ve had to give.
“Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you. ~ Matthew 7:6
