Judith Golden / Middot Nafshi

Reflection for Rosh Chodesh Adar

By Judith Golden

In Adar we journey
From horror to hilarity
Visiting the extremes
As we work to find our center

With Esther we learn to come out of hiding
To face the truth
Of who we are
Of our danger
Of our fear
Of the Haman within our own hearts
Of our obligation to act
Against the darkness that threatens our aliveness
To risk choosing survival . . . and wholeness

We learn to set aside our garment of heaviness
Laden with the knowledge of what was
And what might have been
To laugh at ourselves
Noisily overpowering the voices of deadness

As winter ends
Leaving us on the threshold of spring
We celebrate life
With abandon