WONDROUS THING: Find the Light (and don't stop till you do)

A woman I know was recently diagnosed with cancer. 

As you could imagine, it hit her hard. She was young and healthy. She was married, had a happy home and a beautiful daughter soon to become Bat Mitzvah.  Becoming ill was the last thing she expected.

Her cancer required months of treatment. Fear and radiation were constant companions.  With some of her lymph nodes removed, daily swelling and discomfort are now her new normal.

Yet, she surprised me when she said that despite all of the uncertainty surrounding her illness, she is happier now than at any other time in her life.

She always knew that she was married to a good man, but her husband’s love and endless devotion during her darkest moments has lifted their relationship to an entirely new level.

She now has a more profound appreciation for the true friends in her life as a result of the kindness and caring certain people shared with her and her family during her illness. 

But most of all, her bout with cancer has blessed her with the ability to distinguish which things are truly important in her life from those that are not.  The quality of each one of her days has been enriched immeasurably as a result.

Now we understand what the Mishnah (Berachot 9:5) means when it states “A person is required to bless God for the bad, just as one blesses God for the good...”

Who would have expected that out of such adversity could come such joy?  

Of course, it would be great to avoid misfortune in the first place, but if it should strike, may we always find a way to rise above the darkness so as to discover a little bit of light.  

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What challenges have you faced that facilitated a more keen appreciation of a blessing in your life? 

WONDROUS THING: Easy Does It (Usually)

Here is something I bet most of us have never experienced… staying in an ice hotel. (That's ICE.)

Click on this link for a peek at some of the most famous ice hotels in the world. My favorite of the bunch is the Arctic Resort Kakslauttanen in Finland. What makes it special is that you can stay in an igloo – a warm one with a glass roof – and watch the Northern Lights from your bed!

Unfortunately, there is an increasing possibility that ice hotels might become a thing of the past. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA - 2015 was the Earth's warmest.

It’s not an anomaly. Since record-keeping began 136 years ago, 15 of the top 16 warmest years have occurred since 2000. And all evidence suggests that the trend will continue unless we drastically reduce our greenhouse emissions.

The problem of climate change is global in scale and neither you nor I are going to completely solve the problem on our own. But that said, we can and should and must do something – even a little something.

The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 4b) reminds us that “little somethings” are often the way big things get done. Tafasta meruba, lo tafasta – try to grab too much and you grab nothing at all. Tafasta meu'ta, tafasta – grab a little and you will succeed.

So do something little for the sake of the planet: make sure your next car is a car that doesn’t guzzle quite so much gas; change a few bulbs in your home to energy-efficient LED’s; and turn your AC up one degree this summer.

Easy little things.

Do if for winter. Do it for all the people – near and far – that live close to sea level. And if these aren't reason enough, do it for the sake of your grandchildren.

In a warming world, they will look at you like you are cool indeed.