Tonight began the Jewish holiday of Tu B'shvat -- the 15th of Shvat.
I haven't celebrated this holiday since I was in Hebrew School. Tonight, I went to a Renewal seder and here are some of the takeaways.
1. I was reminded to celebrate trees -- for what they produce, for their roots, their age, their beauty ... the reasons are endless.
2. We did an eating meditation with each fruit we ate. I was grateful for the reminder to be conscious about what I consume, just
wish I made time to appreciate my meals more often. I often take my food for granted and forget about the process it requires to get to my plate. So it's nice to have a holiday that reminds you to celebrate.
3. The rabbi mentioned that when Jews talk about what happens after death -- or maybe Jews don't really talk about it, I forget what the belief is on this -- but in any event, it doesn't really matter because what's important is the life you lead while you're here on earth. And even though we don't believe in judgment after death, it's said that we'll be turned away if we didn't enjoy every opportunity we had to be happy. I like this idea.
Other than that, things are going well here in Chicago. The warm weather we had this weekend was a welcome reprieve from the brutal winter we've been experiencing. Work is busier than ever. It's exhausting, but so much better than being bored.
Finally, it was my mom's 60th birthday this weekend. We threw her a surprise party. She was very surprised. Around 50 people came to help her celebrate this milestone. It was lovely. I was happy my dad, sister and I were able to pull this off as a small token of our appreciation for her -- as the good role model she serves for Moriah and me and for all the thankless work she does for our family and her community.
That's all for now. Take some time to appreciate the trees.
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3 comments:
Hannah- great blog! I'm a new reader and can't wait for more updates. In response to your most recent post regarding Tu B’Shvat I wanted to offer my experience of the 'tree meditation' we took part in.
As Moshe guided us through establishing our roots I found it very easy to do so. My roots were secure under the earth and steadied my trunk/torso/vav part of YHVH. I noticed that I wanted to move, I wanted to walk. There was the tension with identifying as a tree- staunch, rooted- and human- peripatetic, mobile.
'How does a tree move?' I wondered. Then I thought of the wind blowing through branches shaking free leaves and seeds and thought, 'Oh, that's how they move.'
Seth, Thanks for your comment and your reflection.
It's interesting because during the meditation I felt a great deal of energy where my body connected to the floor -- where my roots were firmly anchored. But I didn't feel a desire to move or walk. I was content being connected and growing outwards -- further into the earth and up toward the sun.
So when is the next post? I heard you had an intimate program session with Chocago spoken-word sensation Kevin Coval last night. Any reflections on that experience?
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