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It’s Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, so how do you measure up? You don’t have to be Jewish to think about that!
As some of you know, I fall short, or perhaps fall in a different place on the chart that measures how observant I am in my own religion (depending on your opinion).
Still, I do pay attention to many of the important concepts and lessons behind the routines, rules and regulations (that I, admittedly, don’t pay much attention to).
It is about to be Yom Kippur, our Holiest Day of the Year. I don’t fast because I have health issues that make that problematic for me. I think there are many positive things to be said about the practice of fasting, so I regret not being able to. I have tried on several occasions in the past couple of years, and it was a bit of a disaster. I do, however, spend time reflecting, which is an integral part of this holiday. It’s a time of acknowledging the places where we have not measured up at meeting our obligations, both spiritual and in our relationships. It’s a holiday of asking for forgiveness, and also one of forgiving and giving. It is a solemn holiday, but there is an undertone of joy, as well, in that we know we can make amends. It’s a time for a very hard look at the reality of our failures and our wrongdoings, and a time for making a sincere pledge to do better than we have ever done in the past.
.We also remember our loved ones at this time, both the living and the dead, and acknowledge our blessings,
I embrace any opportunities we can take to do this kind of reflection. I don’t think we allow enough time and space in our daily lives (most of us) to do this on a routine basis. I say I am going to, but then the mundane gets in the way,. So, maybe having a holiday that says, ‘It’s time to do it now” is a really good thing!
As do we all, I have some things to think about in terms of my own failures. However, I have worked far too hard in my adult years at learning from those failures, to want to spend a lot of time dwelling on them. I am a work in progress. I am pleased and truly grateful about having continued chances to improve how I make my mark in this world. I know that my religion says I am supposed to pray and say with sincerity at this time, that I am sorry…for whatever. I think I have apologized far too often, ever since my childhood, sometimes with good reason, and sometimes without deserving to be apologetic. I have made some absolutely ridiculous apologies in my life. I know that true forgiveness and true atonement are demonstrated by changes in behavior and by actions.
So my reflection on this holiday will definitely focus on the ways I plan to do better, to do more, to reach more people who want and need my help, to work on releasing myself from the compulsion of helping those who would do better without my help, and to honor my Creator by creating more.
What are your reflections today? You don’t have to be Jewish to reflect in the next days. Every day can be a time of reflection, of asking for forgiveness, for forgiving others, and for both small and large changes. Reflect on the realities of your life. Reflect on the ridiculous things in your life that need to be eliminated. Figure out what is most important to you, and focus on that. Begin anew!
This post was from my blog several websites ago.
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