My Soul Didn’t Stand a Chance

It’s said that tears are to the soul like sweat is to the body. Crying is an indication that your soul is hard at work, and that choked-up feeling is the signal that your soul is telling you what needs to be worked on. That said, Jerusalem gave my soul quite the workout today. I probably don’t need to go into too much detail with a lineup like this:

Yad V’Shem (Holocaust memorial)

Har Hertzel (Military Cemetery)

The Kotel (Western/Wailing Wall [yeah, “the crying wall”…this one doesn’t require much of a reach])

I mean, my soul didn’t stand a chance.

Growth: imminent.

If I were to take you through my soul’s journey today, you’d still be sitting here reading two weeks from now. So I’m not going to do that. And on top of that, I’m not exactly sure I could do it justice in words. Instead, I’ll steal words, my brother. He used to say “Gam Zeh Ya’avor,” “This too shall pass.”

Nothing lasts forever. Not pain, not joy, not laughter, not tears. All we really have control over is how we respond to each and every situation. How aware and present we are in every little moment. And then to decide, does this moment serve me? Does this feeling feed my soul? Do I want more or less of this in my life, and do I want more or less moments like this for my children?

That’s it.

Now, will I always respond to every little moment in a way that serves my soul? Probably not. But there will be more moments of pause for me in the future. Just a beat. Because I do believe that if we all took just half of a second…one heartbeat…to think about what each moment means to our soul? I do think we could change the world.

Emily Varon
Irvine, California

Our enriching Jewish series are made possible by individuals like you.
To sponsor more meaningful educational initiatives for Jewish women, please donate now.