One of the hard parts of being an adult is that you miss out on the pleasure of being carried—of being lifted up and protected and absolved of all responsibilities. Mostly we grown-ups are the carriers, but there can be moments when we return to that sensation of being held.
When, as an adult, have you felt carried?
Tonight marks the last of the eight nights of Chanukah. Perhaps in this drawn-out holiday the shine has worn off a bit by now – the really good presents already given, the ritual a bit perfunctory. But the holiday itself is a celebration of persistence, of not giving up in the face of what seems like certain defeat, and why not be persistent in the pursuit of joy as well as justice or simply survival?
What joy will you diligently pursue today?
It isn’t easy to bloom where you are planted, to stand out brave and vibrant when no one else seems willing to rise above the crowd. But if you don’t, who will?
When have you chosen to stand out or stand up when there was no one around you to support that choice?
In the ruins of an ancient city, only the foundations remain. In times of loss, when it feels like everything is tumbling down around you, it is the foundations that remain stable, that are still there when the storm has passed.
What are the foundations of your life?
When you’re driving through the clouds, it seems as though the world departs into the mist, only to return, made new, when you escape the fog. But the world is always there, even when you can’t see it, and someone else is seeing what is invisible to you.
What gives you glimpses of the world beyond what you can see at the moment?
