(by Rina Bethea)
I am sitting in a gorgeous old courtroom with intricate ceilings, waiting to convince the judge I’m not a great candidate for jury duy. I don’t really want to be here; who loves jury duty? I chickened out about wearing my “You Are Fake News” baseball cap that was going to be my surefire ticket... Continue Reading →
I’m sitting across from a yummy brown-skinned boy in clean dinosaur pjs playing a video game on my phone (so I can type this passionate raging article I’m about to type). He’s playing and I hear shooting sounds and he says in his sing-song voice, “I’m fighting bad guys, I’m fighting bad guys.” He’s what... Continue Reading →
Three days into a home stay-cation courtesy of the flu, 2 sick children, 1 sick mommy, freezing cold temperatures, and nowhere to turn hours into Shabbos, I decide to open a 1,000 piece puzzle. Genius idea, genius. It's a 1,000 piece puzzle I bought for my 7-year-old for Chanukah, my 7-year-old who hates puzzles. But... Continue Reading →
We get stuck in our stories, the "facts" as we see them. Which, often are only side vapors of the truth. I like to write affirmations. True truths. Truths I can trust. Even when they feel false, they are true. And the more I say them, feel them, breathe them, the more I believe them. ... Continue Reading →
I'm in coaching school now at The Redemption School with Rivka Malka Perlman. I'm actually being a student and fully immersing myself in the experience (usually I'm an admin and background support). The exercises that RMP leads us through are FASCINATING and powerful. Today we learned about The Future Self, a tool to take someone... Continue Reading →
I'm deleting my blog. (gasp.) I made a collage a year and a half ago that has the words "Leaving the Darkness Behind" on it and when I was thinking what to title this entry it seemed perfect. That's kinda what this feels like. A fresh, sunny start. Up til now, the RinaMeansJoy blog has... Continue Reading →
With all the hurricanes and fires and earthquakes happening, many have been talking about a wake-up call. Is G-d trying to get our attention? Is the end near? What does "the end" even mean? I saw a man on the streets of Baltimore preaching something. He may or may not have been crazy. I was... Continue Reading →
I'm not exactly dancing, but I'm not just standing here getting soaked either. It has been raining stress and uncertainty for a long time, but this month has escalated. I flip flop between lows of emotion - tears, despair, confusion - and highs of elation - emuna, peace, power. I'm not judging myself for any... Continue Reading →
I'm strangely relaxed. Kind of in a stupor. It is Rosh Chodesh Elul. I have all kinds of "shoulds" floating in my brain. I should be working harder. I should be planning something. I should be making phone calls. But I'm sitting in Barnes & Noble drinking a sweet iced tea looking at the harbor.... Continue Reading →
