Random early morning musings...
Random early morning musings...
I’ve found myself increasingly stuck in a rut—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This past year has been a whirlwind of events. Our home was foreclosed a year ago, forcing us to move back in with my parents, in a town I never thought I’d return to. Then, in February, my cousin Aaron was tragically murdered by his girlfriend on the anniversary of our grandmother’s untimely death. His father, already in a coma, passed away just two days later, joining Aaron in death.
Now, my Meniere’s disease has flared up for the first time in almost a decade, haunting me every day this past week.
This week also marked the anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Southern Israel and the subsequent destruction in Gaza. While my struggles are incomparable to the innocent men, women, and children in Gaza, it’s been a challenging year to be Jewish and to stand in support of Palestinian sovereignty and rights. I’ve been labeled a “bad Jew”—if a Jew at all—simply for daring to question the Israeli government and their brutal actions.
It’s a bit dark today, but I share all this to say that despite everything, there have been many beautiful moments in between the shadows. I hold onto those moments tightly, polishing them and placing them on a mental shelf to remind myself that while there are dark days, light always follows. As we enter my favorite season of the year, I look ahead with a hopeful longing for brighter days.
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה (Have a good and sweet year!)