In the Jewish tradition this evening begins the Day of Atonement, when the faithful ask God for forgiveness for all the sins of the past year. But in the days before Yom Kippur Jews are expected to ask forgiveness from all the people in their life, to heal hurts and end grudges. First your neighbor, then God.
Who do you hope will grant you forgiveness?
Their vivid pink color is such a central part of how we think of flamingos that they are often referred to as “pink flamingos,” as if their color were part of their very name. But other qualities, like their spindly legs, long necks and curved bills, are really more crucial to what makes a flamingo a flamingo.
In what ways do you go against the expectations people have of you based on the family or groups you belong to?
The blossom of a day lily shows its beauty for only a single day. But the plant blooms for a whole season, since it holds a whole community of flowers which open and bloom and die in their own time.
What community makes you feel that what matters most to you will continue even when you yourself are gone?
“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”
― Dorothy Day
How has love helped you out of loneliness and into community?
Some days you manage to get all your ducks in a row, everything neatly organized and moving as planned. But some days your ducks are in more of a clump, frantically paddling to get to the next place, even if you’re not sure where that next place might be.
How do you re-center on the days when your ducks refuse to arrange themselves neatly?
