Finding the Good: Family

Today I am grateful for my family. I have a wife, sons, grandchildren, daughters and sons in law, and cousins. I have had parents, step-parents, grandparents, ancestors, and a brother; may their souls all be for blessings. We get along well, which is not to say that we have not had our moments ?, but I am thankful that none of us are estranged. Were it not for my ancestors, I would not be here. Were it not for the rest of my family, my life would be much poorer.

Why am I Writing This?

I have been studying mussar a bit at my congregation. It is a spiritual path of study and the word mussar means moral conduct, instruction, or discipline. The “study units” are called middot and each middah (middah is the singular of the Hebrew plural word middot) is an aspect of the soul. The challenge is to get every aspect of your soul in balance, neither neglected nor over-indulged.

Most recently, we studied the middah of hakarat hatov which is generally translated as “gratitude.” I like the literal translation better, though. It means “finding the good” or “recognizing the good.” There is already good in my life. My task is to see it. Once I find the good, having an attitude of gratitude is much easier.

I was inspired to embark on my own hakarat hatov project by Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg’s rosh hashanah sermon this morning. Each day from today, rosh hashanah 5782 (the first day of the Jewish year 5782) to the end of 5782, I will take a moment to recognize something good in my life and write about it here on my blog. I think that the hard part, for me, will be slowing down and being conscious about each one; taking the time to write a couple of sentences.

Maybe you will feel drawn to join my in your own way. Once in awhile, you could add comment to one of my posts. Or you could find the good in your own life and recognize it in a way which speaks to your soul.

L’shanah tovah – to a good year. May this year be a good year for you and your family. May it be filled with health and humor and happiness.