I am sitting at my desk today – on Yom Kippur – reflecting.  I read an article this morning that claimed Yom Kippur a happy holiday, though it’s not known for that.  Yom Kippur is the day of atonement, a somber day for considering one’s acts during the past year.  One is obligated to approach those with whom disagreements or arguments have occurred, to offer apologies when necessary, and to make amends where required.

So how could this be a happy day?  Well, if at the end of a day of reflection you have done this work – not just with God, but with friends, family, acquaintances – something happens.  Those encounters whether in person, on the phone, or even on texts and emails, do bring relief, remorse, forgiveness, and acceptance. Those entanglements and misgivings dissolve in the conversations and reworking of friendships that are of value.

Even though I am not Jewish, this holiday speaks volumes to me.  I value the time spent in this review of the year, or as the rabbi from long ago said: It’s like stirring up a stew on the stove.  You stir and stir, you add what’s required, you revise, and you accept.  At the end you put the lid back on and turn the heat off.  It will be there for you again next year.

And so I think of the final workshop of the fall at 26 Split Rock Cove – Returning to Essence – with workshop leader Teresa Piccari, to be in this vein.  In this workshop we will explore our deepest essence – who we are down deep, and what that might mean for our lives today.

We are the product of our families, our lived experiences, our failures and successes. We also have the power to make new choices for ourselves, to uncover and follow the life that is calling us, and to improve our lives. Please join me for Return to Essence as we uncover and rediscover who we are meant to be.

Piccari – Then

Piccari – Now