Scattering Joy Begins

Scattering Joy began as an assignment for my 5th graders during May of 2020. Yes, THAT May. We'd been dismissed for spring break three days early, expecting to be back in a couple weeks. Then our school year changed to something none of us had ever foreseen or experienced in any way. I learned how to Zoom, interact with my kids via a screen ("you're muted" became a standard phrase for all of us), and missed face to face interactions with them more than I can say. 

One early morning bike ride, in an effort to bring some fun back into all of our lives, I decided to direct my 10 year olds to do something that would bring others joy. They could write a sign thanking essential workers. They could draw with colored chalk on their sidewalk. They could do anything that reached out to others in a safe way. They were tasked with "scattering joy" in some way.

The photos I received documenting their assignment were incredibly touching. My initial ideas were nothing compared with what these kids came up with. 

In spring of 2021, I retired and kept trying to come up with how my day-to-day life would have meaning. Teaching had been my calling, and there was a huge void when I no longer was going into a classroom. I knew I wanted to do something bigger than myself. More than just "enjoying my retirement" with friends and family, travel and (of course) reading.

My husband and I enjoy traveling to new places and trying out local food and breweries. At first I thought of driving a van made into a bookmobile. I could host read-aloud dates in breweries and give away books. But I didn't want to drive a van or be tied to a calendar.

Happily, I ran across a little free library IN one of the breweries, and Scattering Joy was born. That day I started carrying around a bag of books wherever we went, and I now donate to any and all little free libraries I run across. I began scattering joy through sharing books, something that has brought me joy throughout my life. I hope a child picks out a book that brings them joy as well.