Don’t postpone joy.
When we first moved to Asheville, I’d notice these bumper stickers all around town that said “Don’t postpone joy.” They were very simple – white stickers with blue lettering. Such a simple, yet profound thought.
I later learned that these bumper stickers are the creation of Asheville’s late Laurey Masterton, a woman/author/entrepreneur who owned a restaurant downtown, the restaurant a dear friend of mine worked at for over a decade. Laurey battled ovarian cancer for over 20 years, and she passed away last year. She lived her motto “Don’t postpone joy” daily, and she was loved by the community. Laurey’s legacy is still alive in Asheville, and I turn to her simple words now for comfort and reassurance.
It’s been a tough week for our little Asheville community, especially here at A-B Tech. So much tragedy and so many heavy hearts.
A 2 year old girl was accidentally shot and killed one morning due to gun-owner negligence. A loaded shotgun was left out on the dining table where kids ages 7, 4, 2, and 4-months were being watched. An A-B Tech student was murdered during a drug-induced, violent rampage. He was a student I’d helped several times in the Bailey building, and a friend of my coworker. And now, two other girls connected to the case are missing (and sadly, presumed dead). They’ve been searching the river for them for a week. It doesn’t seem real. It’s like it’s a movie taking place in our backyard. A heartbreaking blow to our tight little community.
The sad thing is, things like this happen every day. Maybe not here in our community, but all around the world. Sad, violent acts are being committed daily. You just never know when it’s going to affect you.
The parents of that two year old dropped their child off with the babysitter just like every ordinary day. Uhon was sitting in class just hours before he was killed. Those two girls left their home expecting to be right back. And now their (and our) lives are changed.
Don’t postpone your joy. Because you never know when you’ll never be able to express it again on this earthly realm. Because life is too short for you to wait until the conditions are right. You’re joy is beautiful. It’s inspirational. It can change someone’s world. People need your joy. Especially those around you – your spouse, your children, your family. So don’t hold it for later when you can let it shine now.
Choose to be joyful. Even when life is hard. Even when you feel things may collapse around you. Find your joy, and cling to it. Your joy brings other people joy. And where there is joy, there cannot be fear. And where there is no fear, there is only love. And where there is only love, there will be no senseless violence or need for harmful, mind-altering substances.
My heart breaks for the friends and families of those involved in these tragic incidents. I don’t even know these people, but I have been moved by their deaths. They’ve changed me. I will not let what happened to them fill me with fear, thinking of the state our world is currently in. Instead, I will fill myself with joy, remembering how precious each moment is.
Don’t postpone joy. It’s here. It’s all around you. Take the time to feel it.
