Saturday night. I am loading the dishwasher. I’m making thin spaghetti and marinara. Nothing is special. It seems like a lonely night.

I grab my phone and airplay Pandora. The Melody Gardot channel is in queue. Nora Jones, Natalie Cole, Chantal Chamberland, Amy Winehouse, Ray Charles. My hips start moving, my neck and shoulders. Loading silverware into the dishwasher, stirring sauce, opening a bottle of wine suddenly become a part of intricate choreography. And poof! A Saturday night planned cleaning and eating alone is transformed into bliss.

This is a small example. Joys can be infused into the most dreary situations. Laughter, a favorite piece of music, or beautiful work of art can permeate darkness like a virus and make us aware, grateful even, for the darkness, for its role in showing us how powerful we really are.

Turn on some Jazz, Beyonce even, anything to make you bend deep into your knees and move your hips. Happy Saturday, everyone!