A Joyful What If? ... a writing by Carol Combs

This piece was written for Curiosity Friday and was shared April 2025. Please enjoy this writing - A Joyful What If? by Carol Combs.

I have come to understand that uncertainty is intertwined with every aspect of our lives.  When I reflect on this notion of uncertainty that I sit so uncomfortably with at times, two words come to mind” What If?”

These two words are harmless apart but when put together, they have the power to limit us or liberate us. For the longest time after my son’s diagnosis, I lived in the space of limit filled what ifs until one day someone offered a joyful what if. A liberating and limitless what if!

Limit filled what ifs speak to us in a way that lessens possibilities-what if nobody shows up? What if what we did wasn’t enough? What if I go before he does?

Imagine the Joyful Possibilities

“Joyful what ifs speak to us in a way that allows us to see limitless possibilities.”

Joyful what ifs speak to us in a way that allows us to see limitless possibilities. What if people DO show up? What if what we did WAS enough? And what if we make the best of the minutes we have together, no matter how many or few they may be?

So now, just as I did 7 years ago when I was gifted a joyful what if, I wonder how might we all lean into more joyful what ifs? How might we offer a joyful what if to someone else? How might we allow more of these joyful what ifs to take up space in our minds vs the limit filled what ifs?

And what if_____________________?

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