As summer begins, so does the loosening of rigid schedules and regularly programmed calendars. Later sunsets lean into what feels like longer days, infused with the nostalgia of bbqs, baseball games, park visits, beach trips and endless visits to the ice cream store.
I find myself seeing summer magic in the smallest of things: blooming jacarandas, impromptu car rides down the coast, checking off items on our family bucket list, and watching every single Marvel movie.
Often, we assume it’s the life altering moments that create the biggest impact: births, deaths, weddings, transitions from one stage to the next. While these moments are clearly woven with deep meaning and purpose, it can also be the seemingly insignificant experiences that cause one to realize how wonderful life really is.
It is yet another way of choosing life. Ibn Ezra, Biblical commentator explains that choosing life is choosing to love. He clarifies by stating that the purpose of life is choosing to love God. And who are we to discriminate between the God-given big and small moments that have been placed before us? Living is loving the vividness of the sky during a majestic sunset. Living is loving the boundless joy fixated on a child’s face as he learns a new fact or silly joke. Living is loving the mundane along with the holy.
Summer is a time to take in God’s magic. Slow down. See what God has placed before you. Love. And Live.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is a rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
