If you had to put a religious label on my, Jewish would probably do the job. Though born on Halloween the Samhain festival is probably my favorite. I did pick up the habit of meditating. And yes, I wouldn’t want to do without my Christmas tree and Holly Night celebrations. The last is not because I believe it to be Jesus birthday. A lot in the story points to the fact that Mary and Joe were on their way to the temple for one of the high holidays, probably Passover or Sukkot. That would put the birth into spring or fall. But the new religion had to compete on a highly competitive market and offering less holidays wasn’t an option. The winter solstice had always be connected with the connotation of rebirth of light, light representing wisdom and salvation, life and survival. Well, it was a logic choice. I like it because it belongs to my twisted family’s tradition. Like other things it gives me a framework and anchor in the empty space that we try to fill and call life.
Anyway, I brought it up because Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year is coming up. We all hope to be written into the book of life, to be given another year to heck finally find out why we were given a life in the first place. And with this hope comes the tradition to ask for forgiveness for the trespassing, we committed in the year that ends.
We are human. We all do stupid things. We hurt and feel pain. And while we are so fast to judge others for it, we all hope to be forgiven and still loved. It’s one of the most frightening things to blink and suddenly find yourself alone in the darkness. Life is hard enough as it is already when others do help and share our burdens with us.
I don’t ask though I am sorry for every instance my actions have harmed someone. I forgive. It’s hard when the thorn is still deep in the flesh. But holding on to a grudge is energy better spend at a more positive place. Hence, I forgive. Shanah tovah ve metukah. Have a good and sweet new year.
Stranger Between Worlds 