"Nowhere can man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul."
Marcus Aurelius
Tonight at sunset the Jewish New Year will begin.
This period of time is called the High Holy Days and it marks ten days of 'introspection, repentance and renewal'.
It is an opportunity to pause from our daily routines, stop what you are doing, and reflect on the past year. As we look forward to the new year ahead, it is a time to reach deep into our souls and take stock of ourselves.
Being such an introspective person, I find myself doing this most of the time whether I want to or not. I am almost continually in some sort of deep thought...
But, this time of year brings it all into focus as the Holiday emphasizes not only thinking about our lives....but being remorseful and repentant for any wrongdoings that we may have done in the past year...making peace, and moving ahead in a positive and renewed way.
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the most religious and holy of all days in my religion.
I must admit, at times I find myself questioning some aspects of organized religion. I might be opening up a can of worms here, but my own religious beliefs are very personal and have not always followed the norm.
Religion has been a contributing factor to so much divisiveness throughout the years and the cause of so much hardship for so many people. While we all need something to believe in as we go through life, I don't feel that any one person's beliefs are better or more important than another's.
The labels and prejudices that arise from religious beliefs can be hurtful and untrue. So many wars have started in the name of 'religion' and this seems to be the antithesis of what the word represents. What seems important to me is the fact that we should treat each other with respect, acceptance, and a loving spirit.
Our spirituality comes from our hearts and the kindness in our souls. How one chooses to express that spirituality is so individual.....whether by attending a church, synagogue, mosque, etc. where a sense of community and belonging is fostered through prayer......or by going out in nature and feeling moved by the miracles that surround us.....or by helping out our fellow man by doing kind deeds....etc.
Okay, I will get off of my soap box (!) and end this post with this thought....
The same author of the beginning quote also said: "The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
While difficult at times, I strive to accomplish these insights as I go through every day...and I find that I am always gratefully ending my day counting my many blessings.
With the birth of my new grandson this year I have added a wonderful 7+ pound blessing to the list.
If this isn't renewal of the spirit, I don't know what is.... : )
2 comments:
Thanks for mentioning Owen, you reminded me that I wanted to share the new step in Fay's accomplishement list! She now says Hi and Bye with conviction to everyone, and literally expects to be spoken to by everyone she speaks to! How funny and outgoing this little blue-eyed wonder is! Tonight she is having her first sleep-over at my house (and is snoozing on the bed behind me now), we took a long car trip and a long stroller ride after we got out here, then a great dinner (Chris makes excellent mac and cheese with vegies and Fay ate a ton!), and some guitar music from Chris and a bath, then she crawled up on the bed next to me and in about 10 minutes was snoring.
You are correct that these little bundles of wonder belong right near the top of our blessings list for the year. I too feel that introspective thing when I'm with her though, it's SO hard to put into the right words... that feeling of humility and humanity, knowing that my line will continue in her, and that my time on this earth means less now that she's here.
I never knew what to call my religious affiliation... I follow Jesus, but don't consider or call myself a Christian, because those two things seem to be different. I never felt that church belonged in my life, though I have been in several. I have never been in a synagogue. I agree with you that we all need something to believe in, some to belong to, and thanks for sharing that too! I appreciate that you can touch on such a delicate subject and do it with kindness and intelligence.
Although I was green with envy : )reading about Fay's sleepover, I was touched by your love and tenderness. Your comments and thoughts were so well written and deeply moving. You are right...it is so hard to put that feeling into words...but, now that I am a new grandma, I truly understand what you are trying to say.
And, what a nice comment that you made about my post! Thank you for reading it with an open heart and feeling the message that I was trying to impart. : )
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