Peace

Even on a beautiful morning of warm breezes and sunshine, I feel a heaviness in my heart. I should stop reading Richardson's emails because they are filled with the latest assault on our way of life that we've, unfortunately taken for granted for too long. But here we are, fighting an uphill battle to retain our rights.

I'm a cultural Jewess as opposed to a religious one, which means I enjoy the traditions, foods, holidays, history and Yiddishisms. I have a mezuzah on my doorpost and often wear a Jewish star on a gold chain but my commitment to attend religious services often wans. But when the going gets tough, as it is now, I look for solace in my own historical past, and others, as the world has never been kind to my ancestors.

There's a legend that originates in the Talmud (sacred, ancient religious teachings) that at any given time, there are 36 exceptionally righteous people who spare the world from destruction. They perform selfless acts of loving-kindness which counterbalances the evil in the world which is always present. They are known as Lamed-Vavniks and in a sense, save the world. When one dies, another appears. No one knows who they are, they don't even know themselves, but their presence in the world keeps us from falling into the abyss.

When we lived in Madison, we became close friends with an Iranian couple. Sharing our family histories, I learned about Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest continuously monotheistic religions originating in ancient Persia (modern day Iran). The religion's moral principle is summarized simply and beautifully. "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds." 

Each of us have a responsibility to make our world a little better than we found it which is where inner
peace resides. During these challenging times, it's more important than ever.