Play Book Tag discussion

We are halfway through November...if this month was a chapter in a book, what would the chapter title be? What do you want the chapter title to be for the rest of the month?

Share your main character energy this month?

"Another trip around the sun"

Perhaps I will have energy for this tomorrow.

"Where did the year go?" for now. "Can't believe the holidays are here" for rest of month.

MC energy - anxiety and panic - too little time and too much to do.

Elevation....

Let me think more on why I am so sure about this. Here's where my loose associations begin. My father passed at the end of September. And it was a beautiful and moving and transcendent time. I was very much in the feeling mode of right action. What would my father want, what is the right way to move through all of this? And that was pretty seamless. But by the end of October, a few things became clear to me. That it would be easy not to "mark" this time. To fall into a routine where nothing had much changed. That just because I wasn't wringing my hands in grief and crying my eyes out, and because life seemed pretty normal, did not mean that something significant hadn't just occurred. While I know I am lucky and blessed and joyful to have had such an exceptional father daughter relationship, I also felt like I needed to mark and elevate and separate this time out meaningfully. And differently from every other week and day and year of my life. I knew what I wanted to do.

Ever since I was a little girl, and I learned about Jewish mourning rites, I knew that when my father passed, I would go to Morning Minyan. This is early morning daily services (I never thought really that I would go every day). But I knew it was a place where mourners gathered to elevate their loved one's soul, to gather in grief and comfort, and to elevate themselves. Its a high "mitzvah" to do this, and I am rather enjoying it. And I am enjoying that I am enjoying it. Going to services and other things that are related and holy - well it feels very much like I am helping to elevate us both during this time.

Mornings and Goldilocks. Well, I swear to you I am not a morning person. I am a late night owl. I actually don't do well in mornings. And I sleep poorly. I am literally the last person you could envision getting up to be at some synagogue at 7AM. But three weeks had passed by, and I couldn't go that last of the three weeks, because my husband was with my mother and I had to get Cameron off to school in the mornings. I realized, one is supposed to go in the first 30 days (this funny thing called Sheloshim, the first 30 days after someone has passed - although technically I didn't have one. Because my father was enterred the day before Sukkot, a holiday of joy. So no Sheloshim). Anyway, I got fired up and I went 6/7 days or 5/6 days in that last week of the 30 days. Figured I would find the right place, and figure out which kind of days or rhythm I could pull off.

So the first two times I went, I eerily loved it, but felt so out of place. It was like being dropped into an old world movie, and me showing up with all my bling at 7AM, let me tell you, they weren't expecting me. If you have ever seen an old time film, movie, where in centuries past, old men and women were praying in a synagogue, well the casting call was complete. This wasn't what I was expecting in the least. But I must say, oddly elevating. Absolutely not what I had imagined, ever since I was a girl. This was the real deal, man. You couldn't get more elevating than that. I went back there, and three times now. Maybe more. I went to my synagogue, and was surprised by elements there too. Many warm elevating things and a couple of things that I had ti adjust to, as they were still not a part of what I had envisioned. But I loved them all the same. And have gone to two other temples since, and a fifth is on my schedule for next week. I have been Goldilocksing it - trying to figure out what feels right, because they are all so different. And they all feel right in some ways. Because it is a time of elevation. I love that the world is quiet. No one is checking their cell phones, and no one is really looking for me at 7AM. The day has barely begun. I am missing nothing, it competes with nothing, except the sleep I desperately need. Its a really lovely reflective hour just to be. We get so little of that these days, with our phones in our pockets and busy to do lists. There has been something special about this.

But elevation means more than just that element to me. This whole month I have been trying to rise higher than crisis. Than noise. Than the things we cannot effect or cannot control. Elevation or living higher has been what and where I have been trying to be this month in general. It is connected to faith in a way, because one cannot rise, when one feels bogged down and does not believe rising is possible. How can I elevate, or elevate this moment has been a mantra or a chant for me this month. How do we view ourselves and the world.... And how do we elevate our thinking, our actions, and our lives.... Yes, the word/title felt clear to me. This November has completely been about elevation. And I am loving that. I am doing my best to live in the rise....

I want to read your book Amy. I think it would be very insightful and soothing.

Amy, I found comfort and healing through attending Friday night services when my dad died and continued the practice until it became a habit. It's only now, three years after his death that my temple attendance is waning. May your own practice of joining the daily minyan be meaningful and healing for you.

Years ago, I read Living a Year of Kaddish: A Memoir by Ari Goldman. When you're ready, I believe that you would find it interesting.

I am so glad that you found an outlet for your grieving energy. Most people don't, and they stay in the moment of grief that first overcame them. This is not wrong, for some, that is where they need to stay to adjust to the differences that have invaded their lives. That your faith has pulled you to make a change, to accept the change, says a lot about your personality and your willingness to accept the change. I know that your father expected nothing less from you.

My title - "So many books, so little time" - not only in the days and weeks but now in the years.

This month's title is "Flexibility." I had planned to go to see my family in Florida for Thanksgiving, but then it appeared the flight schedules would be impacted by the government shutdown. I needed to make a decision whether to leave it to chance on whether my flight may be canceled or change my plans. I am traveling with someone who has travel anxiety, so I decided to change to go the week after Thanksgiving. I hope by giving it an extra week, there will be fewer cancelations. My family is fine with this decision, thankfully.

My chapter would be named 'Mood Indigo' as in a darker shade of blues. Could be a great inspiration for a jazz tune, but what I'm really waiting for is for the gloom of November to pass and for some white snow to cheer me up

Joy D wrote: "This month's title is "Flexibility." I had planned to go to see my family in Florida for Thanksgiving, but then it appeared the flight schedules would be impacted by the government shutdown. I need..."

Very wise decision.

Algernon (Darth Anyan) wrote: "My chapter would be named 'Mood Indigo' as in a darker shade of blues. Could be a great inspiration for a jazz tune, but what I'm really waiting for is for the gloom of November to pass and for som..."

I so want a nice fluffy snowy storm to hit NYC. So badly. Unlikely given where temps here sit. It's been years since NYC had any real snow.

Theresa, you can have our snow here. We're poised to see the white flakes tomorrow.

My brother is leaving tomorrow for a cruise in the Caribbean. I told him to bring back sunshine in a bottle for me.

My November Chapter Title

"I can finally catch up...ketchup...catsup?...cat soup....disgusting!!"

August, September, October is my busy season and then November and December are winding down for the holidays so we can catch up on everything that has been put on the back burner. But my ADHD makes this difficult. I feel like next August I will still be trying to catch up from this busy season.

My hopeful title for the rest of November

"I'm a Millionaire!!!" haha. "Peace! Calm! Security! and Books!"

Just finding the inner peace and calm to feel everything is going smoothly.

The chapter title would be "Thank God, It's Nearly Over"

Been a very rough reading year for me, and I will be thrilled to turn the last page and start anew.

My chapter title would be, "Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines."