#blogElul 1: Prepare

Today is the beginning of the month of Elul, the final month of the calendar before Rosh HaShanah, the new year. Each day this month, I'll (try) to share a different thought related to the prompts in the above graphic. Some days there will be words. Some days pictures or images. Some days I might not make it. Things are a bit rough in my world. But I'm hopeful that returning to this spiritual preparation in this month of holy introspection will help to ground me, to give me pause to think above and outside of the reality of what is...and think about the beauty of what can be. Who knows what I will write about....usually I have some idea in mind. But this year....I'm hoping to let it all flow....

However, today's topic is "prepare" and in beginning to prepare for #blogElul, I began to re-read previous posts from Elul and I found this poem, which I've published before. It serves me well to re-read at the beginning of Elul...and so my preparations have led me to this...

as the new moon Elul approaches
the days begin to grow shorter
as the new moon Elul approaches
our minds begin to wander
toward the healing breaths
of the days of awe.

each day dawns
beckoning me to
examine
elaborate
consider
remark
pay attention
get ready!

my heart moves toward
the days of awe.
am i ready?
have i asked the questions?
forgive me
pardon me
raise me up
renew me
refresh me
bring my soul back home
so that i may fill myself up

plant the seeds of the new year
and watch them grow
small shoots of green that begin to poke up
during this month
they blossom and flower
into the days of awe
and i flower with them
reaching my petals, like a flower,
up to the Holy One.


The Jewish month of Elul, which precedes the High Holy Days, is traditionally a time of renewal and reflection. It offers a chance for spiritual preparation for the Days of Awe. It is traditional to begin one’s preparation for the High Holy Days during this month with the Selichot, the prayers of forgiveness. We look to begin the year with a clean slate, starting anew, refreshed. All month, along with others, I'll be blogging a thought or two for each day to help with the month of preparation... I will be blogging here, and sharing #Elulgram photos on the same themes at imabima.tumblr.com. Follow me on twitter @imabima for all the #BlogElul posts, not only mine but others' as well! This year, I'm not doing a linky or anything like that -- I'm conserving energy! So be sure to tag your posts on Twitter and Facebook so I can catch them with my alerts....