Dan, what a treasure your words are and your choices of reading for us. Thank you for motivating me and all your readers to stop and recalibrate. Often in such awful times, we find our negative feelings picking up momentum until we find it almost impossible to stop. If my experience is any example, you've helped many to access the Yom Kippur exit ramp...a place of quiet and introspection. Hopefully, back on the highway of everyday life, we'll be better instruments of peace rather than hostility.
As a practing Jew spending the entire day in Temple praying for forgiveness is the most solemn time of the year. I am glad you have known from your colleagues and friends about the inner feelings you get at this time of the year
Dan, I totally agree with you. So many things have changed. When I grew up in the 1960's as a young Catholic boy I learned that religious folks were people who gave up the pursuit of wealth and dedicated their lives to the care and uplifting of the less fortunate. These days religious folks believe in the hope of their own enrichment and prosperity. There has been a shift from caring for others to seeking benefit for ourselves. Forgiveness, understanding and more are within our grasp, but first we have to find a way to stop thinking of ourselves, and becoming more like the religious heroes all of our religions tell us about, who care for others before themselves.
This was a beautiful piece thank you. I have been checking myself for the last remnants of those passions about issues that are close to my heart, realizing being angry is keeping me from producing any changes in those areas. I’m now allowing any triggers to my moods to be accepted and then reviewed so I might now turn these passions into progress than keeping me stuck.
Thanks again for words that help us look at ourselves and gives us something to truly think about.
Once again honorable Dan Rather, you nailed it. I love Yom Kippur and Rosh Hoshanna. Although I am not Jewish I too have friends and colleagues who are and I have for years now, adopted their traditions of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hoshanna. I have never been sorry. The choice to observe these traditions has blessed my life beyond measure. September is my New Year, it just makes sense. As I watch the Fall leaves paint the landscape and fall away, it reminds me of the importance to clean up my own backyard and the beauty that comes from doing so. Thank you for the warm tears of gratitude and hope you gave me this morning. Love Love Steady. Steady is my Christmas gift for all of my family and friends. And...yes, even my trump friends. Thank You and all who share your hearts here.
I'm trying- really. It would be a lie though, to not concede how Mitch McConnell and his GOP make me feel years of anything but fear, anguish, and skepticism.
In the spirit of atonement, I offer this thought from author Louise Penney's Inspector Gamache: I don't know; I need help; I'm sorry; I was wrong. They are listed in Goodreads as the steps to wisdom.
Thank you for sharing the ancient true wisdom coming to us from the Jewish tradition. And clearly it spans across cultures and boarders and belief systems.
As far as I can see, gratefulness and forgiveness are two keys to a successful, happy life. Today's post reminds me of an organization I have been following as of late, https://braverangels.org/. Their mission is to help those with differing opinions learn to communicate with one another respectfully, to better understand the other's viewpoint, without necessarily changing each other's minds. Man, do we need this right now.
Dan, what a treasure your words are and your choices of reading for us. Thank you for motivating me and all your readers to stop and recalibrate. Often in such awful times, we find our negative feelings picking up momentum until we find it almost impossible to stop. If my experience is any example, you've helped many to access the Yom Kippur exit ramp...a place of quiet and introspection. Hopefully, back on the highway of everyday life, we'll be better instruments of peace rather than hostility.
Well said and wise.
I am only one, but I am one.
As a practing Jew spending the entire day in Temple praying for forgiveness is the most solemn time of the year. I am glad you have known from your colleagues and friends about the inner feelings you get at this time of the year
Dan, I totally agree with you. So many things have changed. When I grew up in the 1960's as a young Catholic boy I learned that religious folks were people who gave up the pursuit of wealth and dedicated their lives to the care and uplifting of the less fortunate. These days religious folks believe in the hope of their own enrichment and prosperity. There has been a shift from caring for others to seeking benefit for ourselves. Forgiveness, understanding and more are within our grasp, but first we have to find a way to stop thinking of ourselves, and becoming more like the religious heroes all of our religions tell us about, who care for others before themselves.
Amen! Dan Rather you hit a home run today! Thank you !
This was a beautiful piece thank you. I have been checking myself for the last remnants of those passions about issues that are close to my heart, realizing being angry is keeping me from producing any changes in those areas. I’m now allowing any triggers to my moods to be accepted and then reviewed so I might now turn these passions into progress than keeping me stuck.
Thanks again for words that help us look at ourselves and gives us something to truly think about.
Once again honorable Dan Rather, you nailed it. I love Yom Kippur and Rosh Hoshanna. Although I am not Jewish I too have friends and colleagues who are and I have for years now, adopted their traditions of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hoshanna. I have never been sorry. The choice to observe these traditions has blessed my life beyond measure. September is my New Year, it just makes sense. As I watch the Fall leaves paint the landscape and fall away, it reminds me of the importance to clean up my own backyard and the beauty that comes from doing so. Thank you for the warm tears of gratitude and hope you gave me this morning. Love Love Steady. Steady is my Christmas gift for all of my family and friends. And...yes, even my trump friends. Thank You and all who share your hearts here.
Pure eloquence and beauty
As always, your words are powerful and thought-provoking. Thank you for giving me something on which to reflect. ❤️🙏🏼
Atonement, repentance, fasting...
I'm trying- really. It would be a lie though, to not concede how Mitch McConnell and his GOP make me feel years of anything but fear, anguish, and skepticism.
I love this. Thanks for sharing.
In the spirit of atonement, I offer this thought from author Louise Penney's Inspector Gamache: I don't know; I need help; I'm sorry; I was wrong. They are listed in Goodreads as the steps to wisdom.
My simple observation is as follows…”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
How many global problems would be solved or never even appear if everyone acted accordingly?
Thank you for sharing the ancient true wisdom coming to us from the Jewish tradition. And clearly it spans across cultures and boarders and belief systems.
As far as I can see, gratefulness and forgiveness are two keys to a successful, happy life. Today's post reminds me of an organization I have been following as of late, https://braverangels.org/. Their mission is to help those with differing opinions learn to communicate with one another respectfully, to better understand the other's viewpoint, without necessarily changing each other's minds. Man, do we need this right now.