#blogElul 5: know

What do I

know?

Facts

Dates

Weights

Measures

Phone numbers

Birthdates

Ideas

We are a 

collection of

data. 

What do I 

really 

know?

The touch of her fingertips

The feel of his breath

The light in her eyes

The presence of

love. 

This I know. 

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....

#blogElul 4: Accept

I'm sure you've lately seen the old British war poster: Keep Calm and Carry On.

It's a typically British statement, it spoke to the reality of the situation during World War II. The idea of the "stiff upper lip" and calmly facing down danger while sipping tea were a part of the British psyche and probably had a lot to do with how well they weathered the terror that was the Blitz. 

But I've started to see a little backlash to the "keep calm" mantra. 

Keep calm and raise hell

I don't do calm. 

Don't keep calm - go crazy.

There's something about the idea that keeping calm means we are accepting of what's happening. It means we aren't going to fight the system, but instead "carry on" as if nothing were amiss. 

Can we accept what's happening to us, work to change the situation, and also maintain calm?

I think of the story of the frog who fell into a jug of freshly drawn milk. He paddled and paddled his legs, never giving up. Until, much later, he climbed out on the pile of butter he had churned. We all know that drowning happens when we panic. Accepting the danger and working calmly within it -- this leads to success. 

So I think I'm sticking with calm. It is what it is -- I accept this situation. Does it work? Is it what I want? Do I want desperately to change, improve, make it better?

 Heck yeah. 

My acceptance allows me to be calm and to work for change....maybe not always.
But it's what I've got today.

One last one for ya...

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....

#blogelul 3: blessings

I want so desperately to write a sweet flowery post about the blessings in my life.

There are, in fact, so many. 

But my heart is just a bit heavy as I try so hard not to focus on what's missing. 

Sam was supposed to be at camp this week. His first time as a "real camper" at OSRUI. It was to be our triumph, our "yes, we survived this" moment. When I registered him, I cried and said a blessing. 

Instead, this is what he is doing today:

So many of my friends' kids are there right now. His cohort, his group. I offer and wish blessings for their time at camp. May they find all the love in that holy place that we find. 

So where is the blessing in this? Is it in the maturity he's gaining? In the strength he is finding in places he didn't know he had? Will the blessing be in the inspiration this gives to him and someday he will be the one to find the cure? 

It is hard to talk of blessings when things don't feel that way. 

But I know that it is the right way. I know that finding blessings (and silver linings) and giving blessings and saying blessings are the way to let God in. They are the way to remind myself (and those around me) that we are not alone. 

And so we bless. 

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....

#blogElul 2: Act

I like to say... "fake it til you make it."

Sometimes it's all an act.

But that act might lead to reality. If I pretend to be strong, to be wise, to be brave, to be "put together".... just maybe I will convince myself that I really am.

Our Torah tells us that when we received Torah we said, "na'aseh v'nishma" -- we will DO and we will hear. Basically we said, "we'll fake it 'til we make it."

Sometimes we need it to all be an act...we don't have enough information or knowledge or foresight to truly OWN it. But if we do the act....if we just "fake it" -- eventually we acquire the information, the knowledge, the understanding....and we do make it.

At least, that's what I'm hoping.

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....

#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....

#BlogElul and #Elulgram 2013

For the last few years, I've embarked on a project, and invited the social media world to join with me.

#BlogElul and #Elulgram have inspired, informed, and offered a little bit of additional introspection across the internet for the last few years. This year, I wasn't sure it was going to happen. But a few requests...and I decided that I would give it a shot. I'm not sure what this year's Elul will bring for me and my family. But I know that guiding my life by the Jewish calendar and its cycles continues to bring me comfort. So here we are, at Elul.

Elul -- that wonderful and terrifying month that precedes the High Holy Days.
A month of introspection and considering, a month of personal reflection and preparation.
Perfect for blogging and other social media...

What's it all about?
I have made a list of Elul-related topics, and I'm inviting you (yes, you! reader, colleague, friend...anyone with a desire to share ideas about the holidays) to join me.

But I'm not stopping only with blogging. Sure, it's called BlogElul but you can "blog" in any way you like. Maybe it's your daily Facebook update or tweet. Maybe it's your Instagram photos or your FourSquare checkins (can't wait to see how that would work out -- but please try!). Now we have Vine and other quick-video services -- perhaps a daily 6-second video? Maybe you don't want to do it daily. Maybe you just want to dip your toe into the experience, or just read (and share?) what others write. It's totally up to you.

I try to keep it simple, as I've done for the last few years. I've provided a topic (somewhat randomly mixed up) for each of the days of the month of Elul...just write a blog post about that topic on the assigned day! Use the hashtag to share your post, even in your title. This might be a great way to kickstart your blog (are you new at it?) and it might be a great way to get yourself ready for the themes and ideas of the holiday! (I plan to use #BlogElul in all my post titles, so that the hashtag is already there.)

And then there's #Elulgram. It's far more open to interpretation! I'm inviting you to post photos related to the same themes as the blogging project. Maybe you're not a writer or you don't have a blog - so take a picture instead! (And don't forget, sharing pictures is not limited to Instagram, but there is also Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr....etc.)

Whatever you do, don't forget to tag it with #Elulgram so we can all share.

The themes are totally up for your own interpretation!

I tried to think broadly about the general themes of the High Holy Days, and they are totally open to your own interpretations. There are no rules, but feel free to collaborate, cross-post, share thoughts, etc. This year the words are simple verbs -- do with them as you will.

And yes, I know that the dates include Shabbat. I personally don't blog/tweet/Facebook on Shabbat, but I will post after Shabbat is over. That's my custom but you can do whatever you like.)

Are you going to play along? Let me know! Leave me a comment here, send me a tweet, or send up a signal fire... . Feel free to grab my pretty badge to announce to the whole world that you're Blogging Elul. If you let me know that you're doing it, we can cross-post, or guest-post, or even just do some virtual hand-holding as the days grow closer to Tishrei. I'll try to link to as many posts and pics as I can - won't it be amazing to all share in the Elul journey together?

I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with you.
Elul begins on August 7th (it's always on time), so I wanted to give you a head start if you're going to pre-write some of your posts.

I hope that our shared preparation for 5774 brings meaning and hope, inspiration and enlightenment for all of us.

Into your mind

Don't wanna nap, you say.

I will lie down with you, I say. 

Don't wanna nap!

Wanna jump. 

Wanna play. 

So I lie in your bed. 

I hope to sleep but you are 

moving

talking

bouncing

talking 

moving

keeping yourself awake. 

I find myself not asleep

but not annoyed. 

Instead 

amused

enlightened

I hear your brain at work. 

Snippets of your life. 

That's not fair!

I will be right back, Monkey!

Let's jump - 1,2,3!

Is that Spider-Man? Yes it is!

Watch out!

How are you, Dinosaur?

Oh, I love it!

Put your head down, I say. 

I don't need a nap, you say. 

Please? I say. 

No, you are adamant. 

So you

jump

move

talk

tell stories. 

And I listen. 

Blessed with the insight

into your little growing mind. 

But I still wish you would just take a nap.