Category: Meditations

What a remarkable thing it is that we arrive in this world already loved, welcomed before anyone has had a chance to get to know us, belonging simply because we exist.

Who loves you—or who do you love—unconditionally, simply as a part of existing?

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.”
―F. Scott Fitzgerald

What book or poem has helped you feel that you belong?

In celebration of the holiday of Sukkot Jews build deliberately flimsy little buildings to spend time in. In a sukkah you should be able to see the stars through your roof—outside and inside come together to create a different sense of what it means to be at home.

Where, other than where you live, have you created space where you feel at home?

We might lament the lengths that people go to to defend their belongings, to hold onto what belongs to them. But most of us also have things that we are determined not to lose, and prepared to protect.

What belongs to you that feels important that you hold on to?

One of the ways we humans bond is around a shared enemy—a military foe, a fire that must be put out, a social evil such as racial injustice. There are dangers to having an indemnified enemy, but also gifts, as we come together to fight what threatens us and our community.

What do you join with others to fight?