Yom Kippur for the Rest of Us!

Since I'm unofficially a quarter Jew, I feel blessed to be able to participate with my Jewish friends and family in many of their ceremonies.

Our friend Michael held a Spiritual retreat for Yom Kippur at Holmby Park in Bel Air today. It was a beautiful spot to cleanse the energy of the past, and rest in the oneness of spirit and community alongside the trees and the grass and the breeze all calling forth a joining, a unity and most importantly a clearing of that which we no longer have to carry.

V'ahavta I'rayakha ~ and you shall have love in your heart,
V'ahavta kamokha ~ for yourself and your friends,
V'ahavta ani hashem ~ to create a world of hope and peace,

I thought of all my friends, past and present, I thought of my family, I thought about the many people I have met as I travel through the world, I thought about a lot of things. But mostly, I thought about how grateful I am, grateful to be able to experience grace and humor and love, everyday.

Each of us finds our own way on the path of the peaceful spiritual warrior, "capable of wrestling with Life without being defeated by living."

This past year I have been the beneficiary of a huge mitzvot. The mitzvot of learning how to love myself by loving all of you, and I thank you.

Tomorrow is a new day, but for this moment, I wanted to honor and celebrate the truth...

We live in a world filled with love, and spirit and vitality.

I look forward to seeing what lays ahead.

much love,

Melanie