Finding Light and Miracles

This month we celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah – the festival of light and miracles; the triumph of freedom over religious oppression and the victory of light over darkness. The year 2020 zoomed by us so fast, yet not fast enough. 2020 was a year like no other in our lifetime. Stressful division marked a polarized political year and the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to stop in our tracks. Feeling isolation without the freedom to go to work, school, parks, beaches, movies, concerts and indoor dinning, houses of worship and worse, not participate in life events like weddings and funerals was difficult to say the least.
Tough times force us to reassess and discover our inner strength. Victor Frankel once said “when we can no longer change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves”. In order to make our lives easier, we can’t focus on fear or doubts that prevent us from growing and thriving. Rather, we must look at the bright side of things. Perhaps spending more time with our families, teaching our children and finally finishing some projects on our to-do list were positive things after all. In times like these, it’s important to reprogram. Dwelling on what’s wrong only magnifies our negative feelings. Worrying is like sitting on a rocking chair; it gives us something to do but gets us nowhere.
Perhaps everything happens for a reason. If that’s the case, then it’s up to us to find a purpose and the best way to deal with the situation. Whatever we focus on becomes stronger; positive beliefs attract positive thoughts which attract positive events in our lives. Take one day at a time, have faith and trust the process. Be calm and be conscious of your own inner light and project it to spread light in the midst of the darkness. One candle can light many others and still not have its own light diminish. Find joy and appreciation even in the smallest things you take for granted: your breath, your food and your home. Enjoy prayer, meditation, and relaxing activities, and you’ll see them as small miracles. Bring gratitude to the mundane stuff and you may see renewed energy of light in your circle of family and friends that will continue to grow like a ripple in a pond.
This holiday season, we can find more peace, light and joy by knowing that we’re capable of creating a kinder reality for ourselves. Let’s all discover our light and miracles in new ways to live in a healthy and happy 2021.
Wishing you all a happy holiday season!
Naomi Young is an educator of Jewish studies and a Bar/ Bat mitzvah tutor in Santa Clarita for 38 years. She’s also a published writer and an artist. Contact her at naomiyoung7@yahoo.com Visit her art website at www.naomiyoung.com