I started writing a diary last night about the first week of Eva and Isabel’s life.  I kept a monthly diary for my three older children until they were Bat and Bar Mitzvah’ed noting milestones, experiences and people in their lives.  The best memories I have from keeping the diary for them are the words and ideas they came up with. Even though Eva and Isabel are not talking, it is wonderful to notice how they respond to Rita and my voice.  I have been singing to them a few verses from the Song of Songs while they were in- utero and yes, they now open eyes, look at me and ‘follow’ the sound of the song.

This summer we are offering a unique class on the 7-Up Series, seven documentaries on the life of 14 children from London and how they mature over the years. The filmmaker, Michael Apted creates a visual diary of his own as he checks in and discusses life with them every seven years. The eighth film comes out next year—as the cohort of children turns 56 years old.  What we will look at in class is how these children’s develop spirituality between age 7 and age 49, tying our observations in with important works on moral and spiritual development, including the contributions of Kabbalah to spirituality and consciousness.

This summer we are offering another film class entitled the Tikkun Puzzle; films to be reviewed and discussed have a theme of main characters rectifying each other—puzzle pieces that fit together for better (mostly).  Other special classes include Holding Opposites—a new and I predict powerful class on non-dual thought and practice, Mystics and Madmen explores the world’s most intriguing mystics, Reincarnation—a perennial favorite and a free class on mediation, The Practice of Presence.

Happy 4^th of July and I hope to see you in class or sometime over the summer. For me it will be a summer filled with exciting learning and babes. Pass the suntan lotion, I mean desitin.

There are many opportunities to look deep into one’s own essence. Challenging situations such as a life threatening illness can cause us to heightening our awareness (Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight is one among many).  Joy is also a wonderful opportunity for heightened awareness.  As I watched the birth of my daughters I almost lost consciousness. Not from the sight of blood, though I am certainly squeamish, but it was from the ecstasy of seeing a life emerge into this world.

What reflects us? What reflects ourselves back to ourselves? The more blank the screen into which one stares or contemplates allows the self to emerge clearer.  Looking into a baby’s eyes, this fragile unknown entity, makes me reflect on how her life will unfold, emerge and of course be influenced by a myriad of experiences (including the experience of me).  If my daughters are so new and impressionable, what about me? What about you?

We finished the 50 day count and celebrated Shavuot last week. Someone is still counting! They are not lagging behind or making up for not having counted—they started again. I receive a little note each day of his new count. Whether you are choosing to continue your count or not—the importance of ‘extending’ the count is key—to extend and expand on the growth you committed to or commit to another process of change. In this way we begin to realize that a program for change is not a ‘step program’ alone, the program itself is the change. We change as we prepare to change—and that helps us to see what change is possible and needed for future growth.

Are we finished counting?  A student asked me this morning:  What am I going to do with my son who has been counting along with me and excited to remind me each night—let’s count the Omer? What do we do now that the count is over?  In following the method of following the count of the weeks as a program for change, we realize that ending the count at Shavuot is not an ending alone, it is also a beginning. Although there is no tradition to continue the count it would make sense that we can start again, and follow the flow of another fifty days starting this Sunday. This could apply to going deeper or changing focus and looking at another area of life that we can move through a process of change.  Rest one day.  Reformulate. No recounts. Just forward movement.

We do not only want to be “free at last” but to have a lasting freedom.  We now stand in our change—this is revelation, accepting the Divine calling. Engraving it upon the heart and being whole. Dayenu. It is enough. The count continues. Moses ascends the mountain and the people remain below. Can we continue to ascend or will we be caught in projections—a lack of confidence in the self (where is our leader Moses?).  Keep counting. It is your count. Make it count.

For each week’s Sefirah you can ask yourself on this day of Yesod, have I done the inner work needed…to do the outer work? Have I laid the proper foundation—dug deep enough into myself to construct a new reality—a new me?