It's Yom Kippur today and I've spent most of the day in services, singing and praying, and thinking deep thoughts about how strange and wonderful and awful life can be. One line keeps getting to me and making me tear up (from Misheberach, the prayer for healing): "help me find the courage to make my life a blessing". I don't think I've ever listened to that line as deeply or appreciated it as fully as I did today. Life takes a lot of courage just to keep living it at all as it rockets by and buffets us with change and surprise and joy and sorrow; but to live it well, and in such a way that you can make yourself a blessing to others and to the world, hoo yeah now *that* takes some big, big courage. And practice. Lots of practice.

Here's hoping I have lots more opportunities to practice.