“Come, Come, whoever you are- wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair.  Come, yet again, come.” ~Rumi

Twenty years ago, in my read-everything-Anais-Nin-ever-wrote phase, I came across this passage- perhaps in a college lecture she gave, “Create a world, invite others into it- it becomes a universe.”  I have held that suggestion close ever since.

Make it beautiful.  That’s what I want to do- as a writer, a book designer, a poet, gift artist, home-creator, gallery partner, mother, wife, friend- my first thought is to make it beautiful.  This calls for both creativity and the stillness necessary for revelation- both simplicity and celebration.  In all humility, I can’t improve upon the beauty of the world, but if I do offer or create anything, I hope it is beautiful, soulful, honest, nurturing and true.

 I want to walk in awareness; gather words of wisdom; offer kindness and beauty; heal; to promote and sustain a loving and peaceful world.  Tending Joy is the name I give this longing- to live a life in harmony with- and deep reverence for- my family, humanity, my work, the earth & spirit.

 The Tending Joy Blog is both a conversation and an unfolding invitation to discover, each for ourselves, the many ways we may cultivate intimacy with the sacred, with joy, with our essence, with each other and the world.

Perhaps you are a Joy Tender too…

Over the years, while showing my books and gifts at artisan fairs, I have felt blessed to meet so many beautiful souls who live in love and who carry joy like a quiet knowing.  These meetings often feel like glimpses of recognition- as if finding a fellow traveler from a shared homeland.  I’ve met home makers and world-wanderers, wisdom holders, way-finders, teachers and healers… poets, mystics, retreat leaders, life celebrants and life-coaches…contemplatives, counselors, creators of sacred space … shop-keepers, artists, ministers, midwives and mothers…yoga lovers & light-bringers …gypsy travelers, and gift-givers – all fellow tenders of joy.

This blog is for you.  It is a sanctuary and celebration of the Essential Domain: of creativity, love, oneness and the soul.  May you experience refreshment and renewal here- a feast of poetry, beauty, questions and reflections.  May you find treasures to bring home for your spiritual practice. The Sanctuary Store is filled with books, cards, meditation aids and beautiful things to celebrate both the presence and the practice of oneness and of joy.  Every offering is created to support and nourish spirited, soul-sacred, love-centered living.   May what you find here be a mirror of your own inner landscape, reflecting back your infinite self.

In love and friendship, Ingrid Goff-Maidoff

…Joy is a multifaceted jewel~ a rich landscape to explore.  Joy is oneness.  Joy is love.  Joy is sensual, and sacred. Joy is all around us, and at the center of our being. Joy is a wise and felt awareness of love and belonging which infuses our whole life~ feeding our passion, creativity, and participation in the world.