FRAZIER: Moving from melancholy to happiness

Published 4:00 am Sunday, February 26, 2023

Sometimes when writing, you can just come up dry and that is how I feel this week about my column.

We have been wrapping up the March/April issue of the Vicksburg Living Magazine and I am, you might say, all thunk out.

Therefore, I thought it best to share something that I read this week from Shauna Niequist’s book, “Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are.”

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I had never heard of Niequist, but when I saw her devotional book, I thought it was really unique because it also included recipes.

Many of the daily readings have hit home, but one recently more than others, and probably so because I have been experiencing a bit (a lot) of sadness knowing my youngest daughter will be moving miles away after she gets married.

When thinking rationally, I know this issue — of her moving several hours further away from me than she is now is really a blip on the radar scale in the big scheme of life, and in comparison, to others’ troubles and great sadness.

But honestly, I can’t stop grieving.

This feeling is where Niequist’s devotion entitled “Choosing Joy” comes in.

She leads off with, “I believe in a life of celebration.”

It’s kind of hard to celebrate when you are feeling sad, and Niequist acknowledges this, but she also writes we have a choice as to how we move from melancholy to happiness — we choose it.

“It’s rebellious, in a way, to choose joy, to dance, to love your life. It’s much easier and much more common to be miserable,” she says.

Admittedly, I have done the latter.

However, it was this statement of Niequist’s that really hit home when she said, instead of allowing herself to sit in the dumps, she lives purposefully and dances instead of sitting down, laughs hard and when she “wears her favorite shoes on a regular Tuesday, that regular Tuesday is better.”

Happiness and contentment can come when it is purposefully sought. I want to try and start choosing joy and wearing my favorite shoes on Tuesday so that a regular Tuesday is better.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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