Elul 15 5781

 Elul 15, 5781/August 23, 2021

Rabbi Brad Levenberg 

In his first year at Jewish summer camp, my son went with eager anticipation to his first day with his cabin. No stranger to the camping culture, he looked forward to making friends, to “being brave,” and to smiling throughout his day.

Later I saw him crying.

 

I approached again. “Why are you crying?” I asked. “I need to go back with you for some down-time...I’m just not ready for this long of a day.”

 

Though he thought he was ready, it turns out that he was a bit more overwhelmed than he realized. He needed to take some time to prepare himself differently; the experience he had did not fully match the experience he had imagined.

 

And so it is with us. Our period of transition is often filled with expectation at what will come. At times, we can be so focused on the destination, that we neglect to realize that our plan is no longer on track. Transitions become the key that allows us to match our current situation with our dreams. They become the gift we give ourselves to make sure that we are still on the right path, that we are taking the time to appreciate the moment, that we are listening to our bodies, to our hearts, to our thoughts, to our souls.

 

May we appreciate – and embrace – the gift of a good transition in all that we do.