Count the Omer-Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 7/Malchut (KINGDOM)

Barack and I at Adas Israel.

Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 7/Malchut (KINGDOM)

"You who are journalists, writers, citizens, you have the right and duty to say to those you have elected that they must practice mindfulness, calm and deep listening and loving speech. This is a universal thing, taught by all religions."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

So many years ago at 8:30am I was born and at 11:00am on this birthday I sat and listened to the President of the United States in one of the sanctuaries in my synagogue. Each year, each month, each day is a journey in itself of ourself that we can choose to take and build outward making ourselves and the world a better place or see it as an onion that we need to peel the layers off. Who am I? So many different answers come to mind but whoever I am if I can try and listen, be mindful of my actions and reactions then I will be tending my small garden which will help the garden of the world where we are all one.

After nightfall on Friday:

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM 

ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is forty-nine days which is seven weeks of the Omer.

Count the Omer-Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 6/Yesod (FOUNDATION)

My two brothers when they were young.

Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 6/Yesod (FOUNDATION)

"Half-smile when you first wake up in the morning. Hang a branch, any other sign, or even the word 'smile' on the ceiling or wall so that you see it right away when you open your eyes. This sign will serve as your reminder. Use these seconds before you get out of bed to take hold of your breath. Inhale and exhale three breaths gently while maintaining the half smile. Follow your breaths."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

This evening I am thinking of my brothers who were waiting for me to be born. I am also thinking of my mommy who was home alone as my father was in England on business. I think of her, ready to give birth, alone and wonder what she would have been thinking. She and my father had decided I would be a little girl, though they had no proof. It was their third go round and so far they had had two little boys. Would the third time be the charm for a daughter? Maybe but my mother was busy thinking of the practical side of running a house. She decided to mow the lawn before she went to the hospital.

After nightfall on Thursday:

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM 

ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is forty-eight days which is six weeks and six days of the Omer.

Count the Omer-Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 5/Hod (SPLENDOR)

The path I was walking today.

Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 5/Hod (SPLENDOR)

"The essence of love and compassion is understanding, the ability to recognize the physical, material, and psychological suffering of others, to put ourselves, 'inside the skin' of the other. We 'go inside' their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for ourselves their suffering.."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

This week and in particular this day has provided me with opportunities for compassion and suffering. Our synagogue will be host to President Barack Obama on Friday. You may or may be able to imagine the amount of security that goes into such an activity. As the speech will be in the middle of pre-school it is changing our schedule. I am delighted the president will be here because the occasion is also my birthday and I fancy it as a special birthday gift but the tension many staff are feeling makes me sad. Today I found myself walking this path of splendor as I walked through the woods on a class tiyyul. Later I found myself walking a tightrope of stress as I listened to co-workers issues. Occasionally I was experiencing splendor and stress at the same time. Another way perhaps of refining ourselves to better receive the Torah.

After nightfall on Wednesday:

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM 

ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is forty-seven days which is six weeks and five days of the Omer.

Count the Omer-Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 4/Netzach (ENDURANCE)

The children and I in the pedicab.

Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 4/Netzach (ENDURANCE)

"Everyday we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize; a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child-our own two eyes. All is a miracle."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

On Tuesday I had two charges to take care of. Religious school ended so Nathan and his older sister Talia came to me for a couple hours. What could we do that would be fun and educational. As a child I loved going to the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum and so we did. In the foyer is a giant stuffed elephant and we wandered around the mammals wing. Upon leaving I spied the pedicabs and inquired about one taking us to the metro stop. "$25, $20, $15" were the amounts the drivers said. I shook my head and we went to a bench to eat our snack. A short while later one of the drivers came up and said he would do it for $10. Off we went with the wind in our hair, pretending to be tourists, a glorious end to our museum adventure.

After nightfall on Tuesday:

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM 

ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is forty-six days which is six weeks and four days of the Omer.

Count the Omer-Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 3/Tiferet (COMPASSION)

Two manicured hands; little Vera and aunt Janet.

Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 3/Tiferet (COMPASSION)

"Remember that there is only one important time and that is now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person you are with, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future? The most important pursuit is making the person standing at your side happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

My aunt Janet and her grand-daughter Vera went to for manicures before the wedding. My aunt is not the type to commonly do this but wanting to make her daughter the bride's day perfect she went. As I looked at these two sets of hands sitting on the breakfast table, one young and at the beginning of her journey and the another much older and reaching into the ending I couldn't help but feel compassion for both. We often have no idea where we are going (the young hands) and when we get to a point where we can now give advice (older hands) realize some lessons must learned by the person themselves.

After nightfall on Monday:

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM 

ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is forty-five days which is six weeks and three days of the Omer.

Count the Omer-Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 2/Gevurah (DISCIPLINE)

Bride and groom hold hands during the ceremony.

Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 2/Gevurah (DISCIPLINE)

"In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change"

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

During the wedding ceremony the bride and groom didn't just hold hands but massaged each other's hand. Words came out of the mouths of many but all the while I was watching the two hands as they connected and spoke in their own way. We are both our intelligent minds and our spiritual bodies. We wear our tefillin on our arm and on our head. The connection between one another should include both of these aspects of ourselves. As the two souls before me made promises so did the hands. Let us hold each other up.

After nightfall on Sunday:

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM 

ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is forty-four days which is six weeks and two days of the Omer.

Count the Omer-Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 1/Chesed (LOVE)

Cousin Debbie under the chuppah with her new husband Aaron.

Week 7-/Malchut (KINGDOM)-Day 1/Chesed (LOVE)

"We really have to understand the person we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love."

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

The day started with a little 13yr old girl I didn't know becoming bat mitzvah at Beth El synagogue in Durham, NC. The day ended with my cousin Debbie Boxill standing under the chuppah at King's Daughters Inn in Durham, NC marrying her beloved Aaron. There was a lot of love in both spaces and a lot of commitments. There was a lot of preparation and a lot of help from friends and family. For me I was very happy and yet a little bit sad, the lesson of the glass that was broken at the end of the wedding. Journeys just starting!

After nightfall on Saturday:

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM 

ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

Today is forty-three days which is six weeks and one day of the Omer.