Yom Tov is Not a Crisis

Intensely beautiful.

And yes, it could be super challenging, too.

It is a time when we delight in our blessings and it's also a time when the pain of our brokenness is magnified and highlighted.

To everyone who is in pain right now, please know that you are not alone... It might feel like the world is spinning with joy everywhere except in your own heart. But that's never true. You are not alone. We all have stuff that hurts. We all have unmet needs. Reach out and talk it over with a friend. (Join the Living Geula Community and have access to amazing friendship!) We are all in Good Hands.

And if you're not in pain... If your heart is filled with gratitude and joy, reach out to 3 people -- anyone -- and share some love! (This is helpful and healing even if you're in pain...)

I called this article "Yom Tov is not a Crisis," because when we approach it as if it's a crisis, we become frantic with worry, and we are ripe for self-pity and resentment. The cooking, shopping, cleaning, pulling together, everything becomes tinged with stress.

When you start feeling overwhelmed, or when you're panicking about a detail -- How will I get that done? How will the other thing happen? Where will we find...?

Take a deep breath and remember: This is not a crisis. It's ok. The missing dress, shoes, or chicken; the messy toys or messy relationship -- it's been missing or messy before and we are still here to tell the story.

We are working towards growth, improvement, change. That's worth celebrating! No change happens overnight. And no relationship or home or situation or body or wardrobe needs to be perfect just because Yom Tov is coming.

I don't mean to minimize the intensity of anyone's needs or the magnitude of any problems, chas v'sholom. My point is that if we want to give ourselves a more meaningful (or at least a more sane) Yom Tov season, we need to be breathing slowly. We need to at least be breathing, period.

When I feel like I'm running a race, I know that I'm in the wrong lane.

Yom Tov is not a race to the finish line.

Yom Tov is a walk in the company of our Father, our King. We're moving forward into a new year.

Yes, there's a lot that needs to get done. And that's why we need to slow down, breathe, and invest those few moments to daven, ground ourselves in our inner Light, and make many technical, practical decisions from there. Only from there. The minute we feel sorry for ourselves, or panicky, it's time to take another deep breath and reconnect with the truth of who we are and Who we are here for.

So, take that deep breath. Daven. Feel His Presence.

Whether the sun is shining brightly or the clouds are blocking the light, we are always in His Good Hands. And we're desperate for Moshiach to come right now, so we feel the pain of the delay, as the world still rumbles with chaos and confusion. Yet we also trust that Hashem is leading us Home TODAY, and we can feel and taste that joy.

BREATHE. Take a few slow, calming breaths. As you do, visualize Hashem's protection, His Light surrounding you, embracing you, carrying you, empowering you, reassuring you. Hashem is saying: "You go, My Girl!" Get on your own team and join Hashem's cheers.