December crept in with equal parts heaviness and glitter and somewhere between the chaos and exhaustion, joy barged into my life uninvited – and very necessary. This post explores how small sparks of delight can be the difference between falling or flying, especially in times that feel like the world is on fire. A reminder that joy isn’t silly: it’s medicine. And yes… even Mariah Carey showing up at the perfect moment counts!

Featured Image 2025 © Lunareth

🏷️ Tags and Trigger Warning: This post touches on despair, chronic illness, exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, world events, mental health struggles, survival mode, emotional overwhelm and the search for small joys. Please read gently.

🕯️ Disclaimer

The story below reflects my personal thoughts, emotions and experiences. It is not meant to place blame or assign judgment, but to offer understanding, invite reflection and remind others that they are not alone. My intention is never to hurt or accuse, only to shed light on what we often carry, the mistakes we make while trying to live and the possibility that healing begins with honesty.

Everything I share here is personal, never professional advice. These are fragments of my journey, offered with three hopes:

That someone reading might feel a little less alone and a little more understood, even comforted.
That someone reading might discover a new idea or at least a spark of clarity, bringing them one step closer to a “better” tomorrow. One day at a time.
That even someone in a completely different situation might find the words speaking to them, maybe as inspiration for understanding or at least some food for thought.

Thank you for reading with compassion.

✨ “Mariah Carey spawned like a seasonal Pokémon” ✨

The universe has a sense of humor, or timing, or mischief, I’m not entirely sure.

Both? Both. Both! Both is good.

But the very moment I opened my draft and looked at a picture of two characters (Jayden and Tara) about to kiss under the mistletoe, my Windows Media Player immediately shouted:

🎶 “ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOUUUU~U!” 🎶

And honestly?
Maybe that’s exactly how joy works.

It shows up unexpectedly.
Uninvited.
Sometimes ridiculously.
And sometimes exactly when you need it most.

So when the World quietly burns…

The other day, I saw a meme that said:

“The Anti-Christ came and went, but no one noticed. Because he wasn’t worse than the current state of the world already is. The rapture followed, but no one went to Heaven. So we didn’t notice that either. We’ve been living in Hell for the last five years … and no one has noticed yet.”

It was dark.
It was dramatic.
It was strangely accurate.

Some days it truly feels like we are all living in a slow-burning apocalypse.
Crisis after crisis, one weight stacked on top of another.
And in times like this, people often talk about solutions.

Revolution. Change.

And yes… we need all of that.

But before you can change anything,
before you can dream, plan or hope,
you must first survive to tomorrow.

And survival takes something the world often dismisses.

Joy. Joy is the Lifeline.

When you’re drowning in survival mode, joy isn’t a luxury.
It’s a lifeline.

Your brain can’t strategize when you’re barely breathing.
You don’t look for an island when your lungs burn…
You just need something to float on.

And joy – small, silly, soft joy – becomes that stick you cling to.

Not a miracle.
Not a solution.
Just something that keeps your head up long enough for the next breath.

Joy is rebellion.
Joy is resistance.
Joy is medicine.

History already knew this.

Why? Because:

Dancing in the Dark Ages

In the middle of plague, famine, war and unthinkable hardship…
people danced.

They had festivals.
Feasts.
Plays.
Theater.
Music.
Laughter.

Survival wasn’t just food and shelter…
It was celebration.
It was beauty in ugliness.
Light in the shadows.

If they could dance through the Dark Ages,
surely we can allow ourselves a spark of joy in a difficult December.

My Life: Living in Limitations

The truth is:
I spend most of my life in bed or on the couch.
I get sick regularly.
I live with chronic pain and fatigue.

Only now a possible ME/CFS diagnosis on the horizon, because it took almost 5 years to even convince them to get all the tests to finally an appointment in our biggest clinic.

Some days even showering feels like climbing a mountain with no rope.
There is always a choice.
Do I cook today? Do I shower? Do I do laundry?
Never all of them. Ok maybe once or twice a year.
Or is today such a low spoon day that “breathing” and “surviving” is the best I can do?

And on those days, joy feels far away.
Too far.

But instead of drowning in everything I can’t do,
I try to turn toward what I can.

I can order a shirt that feels nice on my skin.
I can drink from glasses that make me smile every time I lift them.
Glasses that also feel amazing in my hand.
I can wear my amulets that make me feel safe, held, grounded.

There are many things I cannot do.
But there are a few things I can…
and these few keep me afloat.

And I want to say this clearly, lovingly:

“Because it feels good” is a valid reason.
You don’t need permission to experience joy.

I do it My Way – or – Finding the ZING

Joy doesn’t have to be big.

It can be:

✨ A favorite mug with an adorable design.
✨ A wiggly playlist with favorite songs.
✨ A soft blanket to snuggle in.
✨ A delicious meal to enjoy.
✨ A cozy hoodie with loved colors.
✨ A piece of clothing that hugs your body just right.
✨ A picture to enjoy on the wall. (Maybe one commissioned!)
✨ A cellphone cover that brings joy just looking at.
✨ An amulet to wear close to your heart.
✨ Just the right snacks that hit the spot.

Little things with big impact.
Maybe you might think that one little thing can’t do that much.
But summize those sparks and suddenly they make your brain go:

ZING!

Konmari (Marie Kondo) Method inspired!

Collecting joy doesn’t mean buying everything at once.
It doesn’t mean chasing constant dopamine.
It’s more like a squirrel gathering acorns: slowly, intentionally, gently.

It starts with a treasure here.
Another comfort there.
Then the spark whenever it appears.

Joy isn’t childish.
Joy isn’t denial.
Joy is what keeps you alive long enough to see the world shift.

✨ The LIGHT of Joy ✨

At the heart of it all, I keep returning to this:

Joy is not the opposite of despair.
It’s what lets you pass through despair without losing yourself.

It doesn’t erase the pain.
It doesn’t fix the world.
But it gives you breath, warmth, a moment …
enough to keep going.

Enough to still hope.
Enough to remain human.
Enough to have another chance tomorrow.

So if joy barges in this December,
whether through a soft blanket,
your favorite song,
or Mariah Carey spawning like a festive Pokémon:
let there be light.

Let joy be your tiny rebellion.
Your floating stick.
Your spark.

So you don’t wait until everything is “better” to enjoy the time and the life you got, no matter how hard and full of struggles it is.

Maybe that’s why I chose a moment under the mistletoe for this post.
A reminder that even a quiet touch, a soft closeness, can be enough to spark joy.
Even if it’s imagined – fictional, from a game, a book… or from yourself.

In that sense:

🕯️ May December hand you the spark you need
and bring you that ZING that sparks joy 🕯️

Countering Despair with Joy