From the Album Fireflies & Songs by Sara Groves

when I am down and need to cry till morning
I know just where I am going
when I’m in need of sweet commiseration
to speak out loud

raise a glass to friendship and to knowing
you don’t have to go alone
we’ll raise our hearts to share each others burdens
on this road

with every burden I have carried
with every joy it’s understood
life with you is half as hard
and twice as good

with my good news your dancing on the table
babies born to celebration
the joy of life oh what a sweet communion
shared with you

I know we’re growing older
can you imagine what that will bring
it’s all a mystery to me now
but this one thing

it will be half as hard, and twice as good

(Click on the album credit to listen to the song)

This song has had me in tears and smiling from ear to ear all at once for well over a decade. It’s a testament to the good we cultivate in the hard of life through our relationships. No matter where we have lived, or how hard life has been, there have always been people in our lives who contributed to the truth of this song. Their presence and relationship has made life “half as hard and twice as good”.

This year, I began to feel that my relationship circles have shifted over time and in need of some tending. I’ve learned to acknowledge that this happens as life unfolds, people move or our seasons of life change. Things simply don’t stay the same as our stories unfold. This is both the joy and the sorrow of life. Right now, I am feeling the need to show up more often for others and for myself. To be present in a world that feels distracted and disconnected to ourselves, to others, to living out lives of meaning.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to flourish in our modern world. What makes meaningful connection and purpose possible? What do we need right now more than anything?

In pursuit of some insight, I have been writing, reading, listening to podcasts, talking with friends and artfully playing with the concept (note the sketchbook doodle above). My journals and notebooks now have a long list of ideas and notes from a wide array of authors and leading thinkers on the subject. Though, I don’t think I found a complete answer to the question yet, I am more convinced than ever about this: We need creativity and real life connection to flourish.

If you are feeling this lack of flourishing in your life right now, I want to encourage you to seek out others. Find a person or a community that can come along side you, in creative ways, to help make life “half as hard and twice as good”.

This month, I am doing just that through my community arts non-profit, New Joy Arts. My good friend (and fellow artist) Judith Monroe and I are reaching out to gather people together to talk about some of the things I have learned about brain science and relational connection with others, to have some snacks and explore some creative expression to help us flourish. If you are local and want to join us, I’m inviting you!

Here’s the details for our upcoming Flourish Gathering.

We have been talking about doing this in person for awhile. As we’ve shared, we discovered that some of our farther flung circles of friends would also like to participate in gathering online. If that’s you, let me know and consider signing up for the New Joy Arts updates so you can get the details when it comes together.

I’d love to hear from you about what makes flourishing possible in your life. What relationships, practices or priorities have brought you the kind of good that Sara Groves sings about? What has made your life “half as hard and twice as good”?

Please share with me in the comments of this post.