Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, one of my biggest mental health challenges has been the loss of celebrations.\u00a0When all your plans are canceled, what do you look forward to?\u00a0When people can\u2019t gather, how do you mark life events in a meaningful way?\u00a0This year, my parents celebrate their 50th<\/sup> anniversary, my husband turns 50, and my son graduates high school.\u00a0Will all our 2021 milestones consist of eating cake together in our garage with the fans on?\u00a0In January, who can say?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pandemic reminds me of C.S. Lewis\u2019 description of Narnia in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe<\/em>, when it is \u201calways winter but never Christmas.\u201d\u00a0Technically, we celebrated Christmas this past year, but a subdued and isolated version without crowds or congregations, parties or potlucks.\u00a0We felt the losses of all who have died from Covid-19 and of so many others who were sick, unemployed, or spending the holidays alone.\u00a0Despite what the liturgical calendar might say, it feels as if last year\u2019s season of Lent never truly ended.\u00a0The waiting for real and joyful resurrection, resurrection celebrated with singing and hugs, continues on.\u00a0How do we make it through this time that can feel like never-ending Lent, day after day?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The week of Christmas, I called to check on an older congregation member.\u00a0She lived alone; she wasn\u2019t sure if she would see her family in-person for Christmas. When I called to ask how she was doing, she surprised me by excitedly responding, \u201cI\u2019m enjoying the rainstorm!\u201d\u00a0I had barely noticed the gusts of wind and raindrops pelting my window.\u00a0But her enthusiasm was contagious, and I began to pay attention to the drama of the storm going on outside.\u00a0Suddenly, it hit me \u2013 this was how you survived never-ending Lent!\u00a0My congregation member already knew one of the ways to make it through. You celebrate rainstorms. You make the most of the small surprises and unexpected enjoyments of daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In early January, I experienced my own moment of surprising joy.\u00a0My husband and I were out walking when we heard the frenzied barks of our favorite neighborhood dog. This particular dog gets so worked up by strangers walking by that he occasionally jumps into a small tree, which allows him to see you over the fence in his yard. As we passed his house, Tree Dog<\/em> managed a personal best, jumping into the tree not just once, which would have been great, but twice, which was amazing. It\u2019s not a celebration I would have recognized before the pandemic, but as we laughed together, I got it. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even Lent can\u2019t be Lent all the time.\u00a0The liturgical calendar intentionally leaves space for mini-Easters on Sunday.\u00a0Only Mondays-Saturdays count as Lent; Sundays are for celebration. We can\u2019t abandon joy completely, even in our lentiest seasons.\u00a0We need these small moments of enjoyment, unplanned and surprising.\u00a0While they\u2019re not exactly the celebrations we miss, they still count.\u00a0 They break up the landscape of sameness, making room for the laughter and joy of the Holy Spirit to sneak in, even if just for a brief moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s been a long, long season of isolated pandemic waiting, and I am more than ready for it to be over.\u00a0But until it is, we can watch for the moments that sustain our sense of joy, the dramatic rainstorm or wildly enthusiastic neighborhood dog worth celebrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rev. Melinda Giese<\/strong> serves as Minister of Discipleship and Pastoral Care for Puyallup United Methodist Church in Puyallup, Washington.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The last year has been described as a season of unrelenting Lent. Rev. Melinda Giese shares a helpful reminder that even Lent can’t be Lent all of the time. Finding moments of joy is essential to our wellbeing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":21757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[67,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-clergy-wellness","category-pacific-northwest-conference"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\n\n\n