A Bag of Fun

Newsletter July 24, 2023 Together, we're #keepingitsacred...

“You’re a bag of fun.”

“You always keep things interesting.”

“You keep me on my toes!”

These are all things doctors have said to me. Why? Because of the oddities of my medical history. Beginning in my youth with a rare teratoma tumor on my ovary, through all kinds of challenges with my nose and lungs and uterus and toe and most recently with my esophagus. Yes, last week I was diagnosed with something called eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE for short). What is it? Basically my esophagus has its own list of allergies I have to be careful with. As my doctors say- I’m “a bag of fun!”

And like so many of us with a complex list of bodily ailments, through the pain and challenges they presented, I first tried to understand them through science- what are they? Why do they happen? What can I do to give my body the best stability and health moving forward? Etc. 

When these questions are exhausted, ultimately I am left squarely in the philosophical and theological sphere, left wondering: Why does suffering exist? How can I make sense of these things happening to my body? Where is God in all of this?

I recently heard a striking actor say that we don’t need art until our hearts are broken in heartbreak or our hearts are exploding with feelings of new love. We need art to make sense of these things. 

And I agree. Also about theology and matters of religious tradition. We may not feel the need for it until we are awakened to the valleys and peaks in our own lives. To make sense of the finality of death or to lift up praise for new life. And more. The questions others have asked from the beginnings of our tradition until today, and the answers they have earnestly provided, have the power to move us deeply. In their observations, we see that we are not alone. And we are not being singled out. We are experiencing the human condition, and that connection is fortifying.

In the modern world, religion can help guide us when trying to understand the importance of human connection in the digital age, the enormous global disparities in wealth, the ways we can find balance in our lives trying to care for ourselves and those around us, and the importance of taking time for rest and gratitude. 

For me, Jewish tradition helps guide me in keeping it sacred. Keeping life sacred. Making sure I don’t miss it. Doing my best to live with intention and balance. 

And with regard to my health? Judaism keeps me in awe of the intricacies of the human body that are required to sustain life. With others in our tradition, I stand in awe the Mystery of death. And in moments of connection, I sing praises of gratitude to the Creator for the love I receive and am able to share all the days of my life. All of these things ensure that I am living with all my body, all my heart, and all my soul. Each moment is cherished for what it is. 

This week we are reading Rabbi Bachya Ibn Pakuda’s Duties of the Heart chapter on devotion, and in it, we learn about all of the things that can distract a person from being alive and awakened to the experience of life. May we all see our lives for all that they are, even amidst the challenges. And may we be given consciousness still of the many blessings around us. 

Together, with our tradition, we're #keepingitsacred...

 Rabbi Heather Miller

Founder, Keeping It Sacred

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The above is an excerpt from a Keeping It Sacred newsletter. If you want to read the entire newsletter or any from our archives, please head over to: keepingitsacred.com/news 

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