A gentle breeze caresses my now-bare armsAs I’m delighted by the charmsThe sun’s warmth rests upon my shoulders Shining upon me as I stare at the lush greenery set against the bright blue skyLower my gaze to the pinks, rouges, and whitesI’m seated but I’m taking flightMesmerized and delighting in pleasureTaking in Earth’s most special … Continue reading ‘Tis the Season to Be Delighted
Author: Gila Daman
Latest release: Pandemic Poetry. Also by Gila: She Pooped, I'm Pooped!: Motherhood Year One,
First Comes Self-Love, Then Comes Marriage, and The Roadmap Ends Here: Entering Adulthood.
Fast-Paced, No Grace
When communication comes down to texting without contextWhen you’re surrounded by hundreds of people and yet no one is really there for youWhen you relate through a persona and not your actual authentic selfIt’s no wonderThe world moves so fastHow can we be authentic to others when we don’t even truly know ourselvesWhen we try … Continue reading Fast-Paced, No Grace
Satiety—of an Intellectual Sort
In Grace after Meals in Judaism, a Biblical verse is quoted in the third paragraph, “and you will eat, and you will be satisfied, and you will bless.” I’m no stranger to the hunger-fullness scale, I use it both personally and professionally—I am a dietitian after all! But is satiety only about physical fullness from … Continue reading Satiety—of an Intellectual Sort
When You Give a Kid a (Chocolate-Covered) Cookie
My daughter hasn’t celebrated as many Purim holidays as I have so when we were gifted with some chocolate-covered Hamantaschen, her reaction, which initially surprised me, was quite appropriate. Instead of taking a bite out of it, she began to pick away at the chocolate covering with her finger nails, then later a fork which … Continue reading When You Give a Kid a (Chocolate-Covered) Cookie
What’s a Purim?!
A story the director of Hillel told us at a meeting once that someone passed by a flyer in the student lounge about a Purim event and said “What’s a Purim?” As in, a lot of the school body celebrated it, but many did not, and some did not even know about this more minor … Continue reading What’s a Purim?!
Birds Atop Trees and Phone Wires
For you, it’s simple chatter For me, it’s all that mattersFor stuck inside these four wallsI hear how nature callsI no longer feel unsettled and alone Wherever I go, in Nature I find home
Remember
This week in synagogue there is an extra portion read to remember the nation that attacked the Israelites when they were weak, Amalek, the nation from which Haman, the villain of the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim, originated. Remembering can be helpful when times are difficult: Remember when you were strong, centered, when life was … Continue reading Remember
What is “Keeping Up?”
I recently wrote a poem called “If you can’t keep up maybe you’re not supposed to.” Sometimes one can’t keep up with the fast pace and demands of life. Other times, on the outside they’re doing well, but inside they’re struggling—having to shunt their emotional life aside in order to keep up. The following article … Continue reading What is “Keeping Up?”
Let the Sun Shine
Your warm embrace All my painful memories erasedYou hold me, ever present The old me wasn’t present But now I’m sustained Purely by the shine of your rays
If you can’t keep up maybe you’re not supposed to
Slowing down No longer living with expectations Chasing after shoulds Doing it because they are Because they “can” Not that I ever know their behind the scenes What works for me? What is sustainable? What speaks to me? What matches my inner truth?
Mindful Nuggets 