March 1st - P.S.

Hello loves,

So... wow. It came and it went.

There's so much I might want to share. So many times I thought of posting but then didn't.  No finished thoughts... but I know you'll forgive me.

One thought is about the power of affirmations of self and of recognition of how we have grown.
I wrote a page of mantras before the test. In the middle of the exam, I read them to myself.
It was really powerful. Thank you for helping me craft it by showing me myself, by being my mirror.

The other thought is something about... cycles.
About the number seven Jewishly. Maybe someone here can share more about that? The seven days of creation, 7 weeks of the omer, 7 years of shmita - giving the land a rest from harvesting. One source translated that part of the Torah (please someone who knows more about this feel free to add) as reaping from the land but in the seventh year "the land shall have a complete rest."
Rest and then rebirth and return....
So I'm sitting with that.

There's no rest from mourning or sorrow or the daily-ness of the loss.
But there's a specialness to marking...7 years.

Thank you all for holding and loving and creating this beautiful space.
Always,
einat

[February "29th"]

Dearest, Most Sacred Humans,

This year, I haven't felt like I had the time, like...spiritual time, to be here. All I had was the ability to send an email, compile responses, and put together a schedule. And you all did the rest. And then, hilariously, some of you thanked me for making this happen. And, as always, you taught me so much over this month. I didn't have the koach, the strength, the, like, [I'm making a hand motion that expresses what I mean], to do what usually makes me feel fully present in this February ritual. I felt like I could check in, but not every day, and like I could go through the motions, but not like I could make this little .com (actually .co.ke here, but whatever) my place of worship for the month.

And it was ok.

I let go, and you all held us up.

Isn't that amazing? Of course it's amazing. Community is so special.

I have no more words (what?! who hacked Ruthie's account?!) but I want to share with you a few things. First, these sunflowers that surprised me last week on my way to work and made me smile so much that I had to make sure to walk home with a buddy so I could safely* take out my phone to photograph them on the way home:

*I'm definitely overly cautious, don't worry about me.

And these Harry-inspired close-ups of bees on flowers. Note the one showing us phe's butt in the first pic, and the lovely visible fur (I know it's not fur but stillllll) and wing in the second:

With immense love and gratitude, and until next time,
Ruthie