Dear Friends,
At a Circle meeting last week, we had the most amazing conversation about the word "turn." Four letters and such expansive meaning.
Turn is the best translation we have for the Hebrew term teshuva that we repeat over and over again during the Days of Awe. More than repenting, teshuva is about turning inward, so that we may return to our lives more fully. We turn in a circle to view ourselves from all angles. We are invited to turn our mis-takes into second takes and lessons learned. We practice some gentle turns and some sharper ones too as we set intentions for the year. We turn our focus to controlling our responses and embracing our responsibilities. We work to turn judgment into forgiveness, and fear into love. This past year has turned our lives upside down in many, many ways, and much has come into focus about who we are as individuals and as a society. May we stay awake to these essential insights.
May we turn these most challenging months into a brave new chapter.
May we bring forth the transformations we seek.
May the yearning in our hearts become reality, one turn at a time.
Sending love and sweetness as we turn into this New Year together,
Rabbi Bethie Miller | 
