My faith uses the advent wreath as part of preparing for Christmas day. Traditionally this is a wreath, but I have a wooden bowl with candle holders. I had this bowl made for me when we lived in Germany and my boys were babies. Each candle has a separate meaning. Hope, love, joy, and peace are each represented by a different candle. This past Sunday was the Sunday of Joy. This candle is pink and is my favorite of all.
Sunday afternoon I went to a client’s home to work. I knew she had been going through some rough times but when I pulled up in front of her house, I was worried.
Each year she goes all out in decorating her yard. There was not one single decoration out. I was welcomed into her home where she did have a couple of decorations in her living room.
She told me that she was depressed and angry and that she was not going to do any real decorating this year. Last year at this time one of her cats was run over and killed and she blames her neighbors. She does not feel like putting out anything for them to enjoy.
We had a little “discussion”. OK, I called her a Grinch. ( We have been working together for many years and know each other well.) I made a face. She made a face, and we laughed. I told her that we were both going through some rough spots and if I could experience joy, so could she. We sorted our her living room (she temporarily has a niece camping out in her home) and then put up some lights. We worked a bit on her shrine to her deceased cats. By putting on some music, laughing and joking through our work and putting up some more outside decorations, the mood really shifted.
I think we both felt more joyous at the end of our session.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer