For the past 26 weeks, I’ve been practicing joy—one letter, one person, one memory at a time. I decided that this Boston Marathon would be a pilgrimage of gratitude, a way of honoring the people who have sparked joy in my life. So I wrote lots of letters for the past 26 weeks to the people who make me think of Snoopy doing a happy dance or Joy from Inside Out leaping with her arms outstretched.
What I learned is this: Joy grows when you name it. Gratitude deepens when you practice it and embody it. And love becomes visible when you trace the threads of your life back to the people who wove them.
Running Boston dressed as Joy wasn’t just a costume choice. It was the outward expression of an inward journey—one that taught me that joy is not the absence of hard stuff in our lives but the presence of connection and love.
Every mile of the race felt like a prayer stitched together from the people who have shaped me. I carried your names, your stories, your laughter, your wisdom, your presence. You were with me in the crowds, in the cheers, in the hills, in the rough miles when I needed strength. Thank you for being part of the joy that carried me to the finish line. Thank you for being the reason I could run with a full heart. Thank you for being the gift.
Boston 2026
will always be the marathon of joy—because of you.
From Kate Bowler’s book Joyful Anyway
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