The Radical Act of Celebration

Sanctuary Dispatch | Friday Reflections from the Wild Path

The Soft Rebellion

🎉Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged. But, almost before the joy could even settle in, the commentary began.

Influencers I admire were quick to remind their audiences: don’t get distracted, don’t forget what’s happening in the world. Political groups jumped in with the same message, weaving her joy (and quite frankly, ours) right back into the heaviness of the moment.

And I understand where that comes from. We live in a world on fire. We don’t forget the injustice, the pain, the corruption. We cannot forget. It lives in us every day.

But here’s what I know in my bones: those “distractions” are necessary.

Joy is not pulling us away from the fight. Joy is what keeps us able to fight. It is sustenance. It is breath. It is the reminder of why we want change in the first place.

I admire Taylor’s way of showing up. Her platform doesn’t have to be political. Her gift is joy, music, celebration, connection — and that is enough. That is its own kind of service.

And I take this approach when it comes to The Soft Rebellion.

Not everyone brings the same energy to the table, nor should they. Some bring fire and outrage. Some bring strategy. Some bring care. Some bring joy. That is why, when someone applies, I ask what unique gifts they bring — because a true rebellion needs all of it.

We can’t all be the same. We aren’t meant to be.

Honestly, in my own work, I sometimes feel a tug. On days when the headlines are especially heavy, I’ll share something lighthearted — a Sacredly Weird Wednesday post about critters or nature — and I’ll feel a moment of guilt. Should I have posted something more serious today?

But then I remember: this, too, is rebellion. People need joy right now. They need something to hold onto that isn’t just fire and fear. Otherwise, what are we even fighting for?

The world doesn’t need only warriors shouting at the gates. It also needs singers, healers, light-bringers, joy-makers. It needs all of us — in all our different ways of showing up.

So yes, I will take the joy of Taylor’s engagement announcement. I will take the joy of her music, her fandom, her light. And I will keep reminding myself, and you, that joy isn’t a distraction.

Joy is an essential ingredient in the rebellion.

Joy is what keeps us alive enough to keep going.

And joy, too, IS rebellion.

Sanctuary Dispatch

Friday Reflections from the Wild Path

This is where the personal meets the political, and care becomes a form of resistance.

Each dispatch is part of The Soft Rebellion—a movement rooted in clear seeing, collective care, and the courage to act.

These reflections rise from the ground we stand on, and ripple through The Soft Rebellion: Local Chapter in Metro Northwest Massachusetts.

✨ Learn more and apply to join the local chapter:

www.spreadingthecheer.com/softrebellion