On this next to final meander around joy for this season, I’m speaking with Melissa Park, of the podcast “Making Way.” Melissa and I wander far and wide on disparate topics that seem disconnected but weave through her life creating a truly beautiful tapestry of what I would call “care for others.”
Melissa works in IT by day but has what she calls a “side hustle” helping people organize their homes… a thing she’s loved to do since she was a child. Organizing her family home brought her a sense of security and safety when she was a wee girl, and now she likes to help people create space for living, clearing away clutter and making space for life. Kind of a lovely thing, really.
She also talks about her life growing up on Staten Island, yes, near to the Statue of Liberty that most people think of when they hear of the island. Her life growing up was a little fraught with a father who was unwell and immigrant parents who struggled to make their way in America. We meander around some of her childhood memories, not all of them happy, but that too is part of life and is also what builds our capacity for joy.
We also talk about the role of wonder in life, in ourselves and in the world around us. It’s kind of a lovely thing, this sense of wonder that Melissa and I share together. Its one of the many things that I really liked about meandering with her in this penultimate meander around joy as I break next week until the fall.
Next week I’ll have a final wrap up meander, just me, for you. I hope you’ll stay tuned.
Episode links:
Melissa’s podcast is called “Making Way,” a podcast about finding your path in life. She interviews a wide range of people, and gives them each space to tell their story, sharing their wisdom. Give it a listen!
And finally here is Melissa's organizing "side hustle": a company called "Messy Space"
Royalty free music is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-Huma
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