Last month, the weight of the pandemic felt personally unbearable. A go-to strategy to relieve despair and renew my own spirit is to reach out to see if perhaps others can relate.
I hopped onto Twitter with this simple question:
“What is one word you’d use to describe your emotional state right now? Mine is ‘exhausted’.”
No photo, no cute emoticon to get eyeballs, just that one question. Then, I stepped away for a few hours (probably for another Zoom meeting…)
2572 human beings responded to my tweet. It was an avalanche of emotion. (I guess I’m not alone, I realized.)
A friend helped me categorize the responses:
#1 (the winner): Angry, frustrated, disgusted, outraged…
#2: Sad, defeated, heartbroken, despairing, hopeless, overwhelmed, sad…
#3: Exhausted, numb, drained, weary…
#4: Anxious, fearful, terrified, stressed…
Breathtaking, right? As my teacher, Rabbi Nancy Flam once said, “It’s hard being a person…” This is one of those times. We are all holding so much right now.
I wanted to leap right through my computer & hug each person but as you know, “social distancing”…
As I’ve learned from the Jewish sages – the soul yearns for peace, even as the scientists search for solutions to this crisis.
We seek a soft place to rest our exhausted spirits, renew our weary souls. We MUST renew, refresh, recharge, refuel.
Thus, this *free* ebook was born (my first ever):
Renew. 12 Ways to Awaken Your Weary Soul
I offer this *free* short booklet from my heart to yours.
However, if you are moved to make a donation to offset the costs, a percentage of the proceeds will go to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks. (One of the “ways” to heal our souls is to give to others less fortunate.)
The purpose was to put some simple wisdom and BEAUTY in front of you so that you could perhaps find some respite during this difficult time.*
My core belief is that each one of us is precious and needed. Even if there is a vaccine miracle tomorrow – there is so much repair work to be done in our world.
And this is why it is urgent and imperative to feed your spirit and work toward wholeness, even when you feel broken.
Lay your burdens down so you can renew to meet a new day.
We are all in this together.
Blessings to you, dear humans. Show up for yourself. I can’t wait to hear what this little booklet awakens within you!
Rabbi Jill
PS – I want to thank Jacqui June Whitlock, Jim Nelson, Lionel Peter Church, Mary Ann Malkoff & Ely Zimmerman for contributing to this project. It is gorgeous because of them.
Thank you, Rabbi Jill. You and Bo are wonderful and lift spirits. Have a wonderful day.