Flow within Discipline, 8 Days of the Omer, Chesed ShebeGevurah
Tonight begins eight days of the Omer, which is one week and one day of the Omer in the year 5781. חסד שבגבורה, Chesed ShebeGevurah, Flow within Discipline.
Setting Healthy Boundaries, Flourishing Within Them
Every week, I marvel at how much I learn from my children. When i get overwhelmed, I let go of my boundaries. It is easy to swim in pools of malaise, doom-scrolling or mindless hours of binging streaming television. There's one boundary that is crystal clear for my young kids: bedtime. I don't mean that both of them recognize this need, but without fail -- the older one will fall asleep, whether in front of the television or tucked in bed.
This is the key lesson I've learned in my seven years of parenting: boundaries allow children to truly flourish. Having clear guidance on what is and isn't acceptable gives one the confidence to explore and become one's truest self.
Second Week of the Omer: Gevurah / Din: Strength, Judgment, Discipline
Rather than seeing refractions of Chesed, this week we are meditating into the counterpart sephira. She has many names, most often גבורה and דין. Last week, I allowed the Divine emanations to wash over me. Today, I begin to take responsibility for bringing their power into my actions, speech, and feelings.
I marvel at the strength within a five year-old. Determined to learn to read, he followed instructions via Zoom transitional kindergarten and began the process of unlocking knowledge. Similarly, despite preferring graphic novels with scatological foci, my seven-year old kept his own reading an adult-oriented Haggadah. Their ability to move with the Flow of pandemic living and maintain a level of discipline is truly remarkable.
Flow within Discipline: the light touch of holiness
My rigidity has always been my stumbling block. When first learning the Sephirot, I laughed and said I was Gevurah to my partner's Chesed. Now, instead of castigating myself for not being perfect, or not living up to my highest ideals, I choose to lean into Flow.
Flowing with Divine love and kindness, I accept my own limitations with grace. I lean into the moment and set aside my anxiety about the future. I marvel at the calm completeness within simple routines, like walking the dog.
Prayer for Flow within Discipline
Holy One of Blessing, help me to live into the flow of discipline. May I remember that boundaries help me be the best version of myself. Source of Life, help me remember that refracting my judgment through loving eyes brings deeper clarity and wisdom.
The Spiral of the 8th Day of the Omer
Your rod and Your staff guide me through the pandemic, 5780 / 2020.
Contemplating martyrdom, Lori Gilbert Kaye, HaShem yikom dama, 5779 / 2019.
Discipline rooted in grace, 5778 / 2018.