The Preciousness of Every Moment The heartbreaking (growing) death toll of the virus reminds us of our mortality. As King David said, “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” Just as the shadow quickly fades, so do our lives. We are reminded to cherish our moments and to infuse them with meaning and purpose.
The Sanctity of Life Throughout history, our synagogue doors have been kept open against forces of antisemitism and through many challenges. Now, those doors are closed to save lives. The Torah instructs, “You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances, which a person shall do and live by them.” Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya interprets this mandate to mean, “In all circumstances, one must take care not to die as a result of fulfilling the mitzvot.” The sanctity of life is paramount.
And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.
-Untitled by Kitty O'Meara (2020)
“Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.”
- Etty Hillesum
People often say that motivation does not last. Well neither does bathing- that's why we recommend it daily.
Zig Ziglar
Don't worry about the world coming to an end today; it's already tomorrow in Australia.
-Charles Shulz
Optimist: someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's more like a cha-cha.
-Robert Brault
Sources for Positivity:
https://gratefulness.org
https://www.inspiremore.com/morning-smile/
http://www.dailygood.org