Thanksgiving.

This morning I woke up and Reuben was curled up in the blankets beside me.  It was at this moment, exactly as I opened my eyes, that I realized how immeasurably grateful I am.  I am thankful for my peaceful mornings and the day the lies ahead and for all the days behind. As Murakami said: "it's as though all these days were ingeniously programmed for the very purpose of bringing me here, where I am today."  I am thankful for all the steps that have brought me to this place, for all the people who have entered my life, for the courage that I am learning, and for all the love that I have found while flying about in this world.

I never want to take anything for granted.

I am decidedly lucky.

rocket science.

Strange is our situation here upon earth.  Each of us comes for a short visit not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose.  From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: that we are here for the sake of each other, above all, for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy.  Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of others, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have recieved and am still receiving.

-Albert Einstein

A Reflection:

As a new year starts rolling, gears get turning, and so it feels like a good time to return to my blogging.  Hello again.



There are times when change within one's soul feels especially near to the surface - tangible shifts within an intangible entity. For me, now is one of those times. It is Yom Kippur. A checkpoint marking the turning of a year.  Now is an opportunity to quiet the mind and to reflect honestly on how well we have been living our lives. How well do we nurture the goodness in ourselves? How can we improve? For me, it is an opportunity to acknowledge my wrongdoings as the first step in repairing and strengthening my character, in defining the person I want to be, and in molding the person I choose to be. Mistakes are part of our humanity.  It is in how we respond to our errors, how we correct and learn from our mistakes, that reveals who we are and who we can become.

As I move forward into 5775 I aim for eyes that open wider. I aim to be more gentle with my heart and with my mind.  I aim to be more patient with those around me and more patient with myself.  I aim to put more energy into believing in magic and into pursuing a life full of sparkle.  I aim to put my energy where energy is due and to understanding when it is not.

.אלהינו ואלחי אבותינו סלח לנו, מחל לנו, כפר לנו

 May a sweet year, full of wonderment,  lie ahead for us, for all of Israel, and for all of humanity.  V'imeru Amen.