A Road Trip with Peace & Joy

So…I quit my job. 

And before you ask, no I don’t have anything lined up. Well..not exactly, I do have peace and joy waiting for me. 

Every time I say that statement, I envision two bohemian chicks with sunglasses, cutoff jean shorts, billowy and soft graphic tees (no bras-duh) with bangle and hemp bracelets lining their wrists and arms. 

They’re smiling and waving to me while standing in front of an old cream colored, VW van. And everything inside of me says I’m well over due for a road trip with them. 

Peace is blonde with dreadlocks. Joy is rocking a pixie cut. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them, that I can hardly recognize their faces. 

Peace’s purposefully tangled hair tells a story of life not going as smoothly as she hoped. However, at the same time it shows how she grew from her struggles and turned them into something unique and beautiful. 

Her eyes reflect the beauty all around her. They don’t have a solid color and even if they did there wouldn’t be a name for it. Her kind eyes show no fear and exude confidence in the most humble of ways. They aren’t intense and challenging. It’s more like they assure the person who gazes into them that everything will be okay. They mesmerize you into forgetting your worries. 

An awkward hug doesn’t exist with Peace. Her embrace envelopes you. No matter what angle you approach her she always finds a way to press her heart next to yours seamlessly. The beat of her heart is so strong and steady it automatically overpowers the heart pressed up next to it. The next thing you know, your heart is beating in rhythm with hers and for some unexplainable reason it feels as though your blood runs a little smoother and warmer through your veins. 

From far away she looks tiny but the closer you walk toward her the bigger her presence becomes. And once you are in her aura, you feel this innate desire to never leave. 

While Peace radiates calmness, Joy’s aura shoots out sparkles and color at a rapid pace. If the world is mainly black and white, she would be a rainbow with polka dots. There’s just a lot of happy going on there. 

Joy’s physical frame is smaller than Peace’s but her attributes make her oh so mighty. Petite with different colored hair every time I see her, it’s like she can be happy no matter what shade of color life throws her way. 

Her eyes are dark. When you look into them you can tell they are muting out the ugly she has seen in the past. However, that thought is a fleeting one because within nano seconds her smile and the glow from her skin distract you from anything she might have witnessed with those eyes. And her perseverance to smile in spite of pain is contagious. 

Gratefulness is sewn into every fiber of her being. I think it’s the well from where she draws her boundless, positive energy. 

While Peace is apt to sit still, take everything in, comfort you with her hugs and quiet presence-Joy is more likely to be bouncing around (literally), smiling, singing, and encouraging you to engage your inner child.

I’d like to say she doesn’t have a care in the world but that’s more Peace’s story. Joy has concerns and troubles but none are bigger than her grin or gratitude. 

Just thinking about these two and who I am when I’m with them confirms I’ve made the right move. How could I think I could do life without them daily? How could I think that security, society’s expectations, and the fear of disappointing people were more important than the very things that make up my existence or at least make it worth living?? 

I leapt off the ledge not knowing what or who was waiting for me at the bottom. I did however know it had to be better than the suffering I was enduring. 

Since quitting my job, Joy, Peace and I have become inseparable. The three of us have ran off that old bastard, Anxiety and replaced him with Excitement. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I wake up and wait for the surprises and blessings God has in store for me daily.