All the World's a Stage....

Joy.  How do you describe the feeling of joy?  Is it that rush of pure happiness?  It starts in your heart and fills up your chest till you're almost bursting with it?  So that you can't help but raise your face to the sky, and smile as big as your cheeks will let you?  It's a fairly fleeting feeling.  Even if you're as happy as happy can be, that rush of joy doesn't last long.  It's nearly impossible to hold on to....even as the happy feeling lingers....

I felt it yesterday.  I was reading an article about being an artist and where inspiration comes from (link to be posted tomorrow on Dream Cafe :>), and the author included a quote "this guy in England said about 400 years ago":

"All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players:

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts..."

I'm not sure why reading that passage yesterday filled me with such wonder, excitement, and enthusiasm for whatever my future holds.  I do know I've always loved the phrase, "All the world's a stage!"  We used it a lot in the professional children's choir I was in.  It was our slogan.  I loved the image it presented in my head....all the world's a stage! It feels so hopeful to me...so full of possibility.  Like we can make our world into what ever story we want told....

As I grew up, I began to really appreciate the rest of the quote - "And all the men and women merely players".  That line puts things in perspective for me....whether from a religious stand point (as in God is in charge, and we are merely here doing His bidding - playing the part He wants us to play), or a more esoteric point of view (it doesn't matter what we do in this life, we are merely pieces/players on a giant chessboard at the hands of fate), or even from a more playful look (life is an experience meant to be enjoyed, meant to be playful, meant to be fun).  

"They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts..."  Or one woman in her time plays many parts :>)  We all wear so many different hats; sister, brother, daughter or son, husband or wife, mother or father, lover, friend, designer, accountant, doctor, singer, lawyer, dreamer....on and on.  

I guess the quote sums up some of my thoughts on life....That this world really is a stage for us to play on...to create on...to make into what ever story we want told.  At least that's what I hope for.  And I think that's why it brought me that amazing rush of joy...and a lingering sense of happiness.

But joy - pure joy - lasts only a moment.

Man are you lucky when you feel it.

xo,

k

On a slightly lighter note, I finally hung this mirror from West Elm (one of the bigger ones) by our front door:

On sale baby!  I love how glam it is!