When Did We Decide We Have to Earn Our Joy? Tuesday Morning with Lynn Pritchard

Written by Lynn Pritchard Sept 28th 2026

I caught myself saying, “I’ll do something fun when things calm down.”

Then I had to laugh. When, exactly, is that supposed to happen?

There’s always a bill to pay, a project to finish, someone who needs us, or a problem we’re trying to solve. We can spend months waiting for the perfect free afternoon. Meanwhile, the people we love are growing older, the kids are growing up, and life is happening right now.

I don’t say that to make anyone feel guilty. I say it because I need the reminder, too.

Somewhere along the way, many of us learned to treat joy like a prize we get after all our work is done. But joy also helps us do the work. A good laugh can change the mood of an entire day. An hour spent making something with your hands can give your mind a rest. A silly afternoon with your family can become a story you tell for years.

I see little moments like that at Spiritual Uplifts. A child opens a mining bucket and calls everyone over to see a crystal. Friends compare the candles they’ve made. Someone comes in intending to look around for five minutes and stays because they found something that made them smile.

That’s practical magic to me. It’s making space for a moment that brings you back to yourself.

So here’s my challenge for this week: pick one thing you’ve been saving for “when you have time,” and make a little time for it now. Call the friend. Take the kids somewhere fun. Light the candle you’ve been saving. It doesn’t have to be a big outing, and you don’t have to finish your entire to-do list first.

We’re having our Practical Magic Halloween party at Spiritual Uplifts in October, and I hope it gives some of you a reason to put a fun day on the calendar. We have a few surprises planned, so I won’t give away the mystery yet!

What’s one small thing you could stop putting off and enjoy this week? I’d love to hear your answer.

Love you all, Lynn Pritchard