Castle on a Hill

The Disney world of princes and princesses makes us think of castles as romantic places of luxury and wealth, the very definition of a happy ending. But castles were largely built as strongholds, as a place that you could wall yourself in when under attack. Sometimes the fairy tale life you envy in someone else is merely the fancy walls that they have built to protect the vulnerabilities they don’t dare show.

Who do you allow to see the truth of your inner life?

Sukkot

For Sukkot, the Festival of Booths, Jews build a flimsy structure that is permeable enough to the outside that you can see the stars through the roof. Throughout the eight-day holiday the faithful eat, hang out, or even sleep in this fragile, leafy hut.

This week, how will you allow yourself to be open and vulnerable to the world around you?