With Gratitude

As I write this the apples and honey have been dipped and we have blessed a new year. We have accessed our relationship with God and we have asked for forgiveness for wrongs we have done. Maybe it is the change of season and the leaves falling but welcoming in Sukkot feels like a breath of fresh air and brings a smile to my face. Is the Sukkah our guiding light?

Gratitude, as we all know, is being thankful.  Accepting thanks and giving thanks. But it is also so much more. Gratitude is being kind and accepting kindness. Can we find, give, and accept gratitude and kindness amidst war? Yes, we have to.

The last year has brought darkness that many of us never thought we would have to see through. It has left me questioning mankind and feeling as if I am just spinning out of control. We need something to hold on to, something to focus on, somewhere to feel grounded. What if we built a sukkah? And what if along with all the materials needed for our sukkah we added gratitude and kindness?. 

A sukkah should consist of at least 3 walls. The roof must stay partially open to see the sky during the day and stars at night. Seems easy. We can go to the store and buy what is needed to hold it up. But what about what is needed to lift you up? You can not buy it. You have to see it and feel it. 

It is the light that seeps in through the openings in the roof that lets us see the gratitude and kindness  in what we have built. It is the people who will be in it with you. The seat you offer to a person who does not have one and what you learn from them. It is the smile it puts on that person’s face and yours. It is the loved ones that sit together. It is the meal you share. It is recognizing the people around us who have stood by us. It is our hope. It is the breath you are able to take. Embrace its warmth and just be. 

Rejoice in the light the sukkah gives you. Leave outside whatever came before and try not to think about whatever is coming after. Let this time be precious. Let it give you back something that you can take with you. From today, to tomorrow, and all the days after, this light will be your guiding light. 

Xoxo

Brenna