I love this… and it gave me a lot of encouragement and reassurance (can’t quite express it in words: my words get stuck in my head sometimes, cognitive stroke effect stuff, plus age etc). Just wanted to thank you. A lot. Love and purrs from Scotland from me and Blixa cat
I absolutely love this. Gratitude has changed the way I experience my life. One of the simplest shifts for me was moving from “I have to” to “I get to.” I get to wake up. I get to stand on my own two feet. I get to go to work. I get to live this ordinary life. Nothing outside of me changed first—my way of seeing changed, and that changed everything. Gratitude has become one of the deepest spiritual practices of my life. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
Each morning upon waking I say, "Thank you Lord for another day. Baruch Hashem." After my Bar Mitzvah I would recite the Modeh Ani every morning, until I had a crisis of faith at 16 when my beloved Aunt Dorothy died of cancer, only 52, and suffered much. When she visited me at age 22 and restored my faith, I changed my morning prayer of thanks and made it mine, not any different from the Modeh Ani.
Faith is something you either get or don't get. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I don't care whether you believe or not, that is your business.
My partner and I say this prayer together every morning. Thank you for this deep dive into a foundational piece of Jewish prayer and the Jewish psyche.
Profound. I am in my first morning after my second knee replacement surgery (thanks to G-d that he only gave me two) and I can intimately appreciate everything that you wrote. Life is good, but the nerve blocker still hasn't worn off. Ask me again on Friday. 😁
I have had two knee replacements, so I understand where you are coming from!
Keep taking the Tylenol you have presumably been instructed to take, and even on Friday you will find that life is good and that it will get better over the next six weeks or so, even if it is two steps forward and one step back. (Think of it as a dance?) Listen to a lot of upbeat music!
I am 85 and not an observant Jew, but I say this prayer every morning and attend to every word. When I go for a walk, I express my thanks for still being able to do so. Being grateful for little things is actually a way to remain young....and amazed. Thank you for that wonderful piece.
I loved this. Thank you. Noticing the present, honoring the present. Such a great way to stay grounded and an honest way to respect the self as she is not as she could be if we did all the things during our days. I have a new way to stay connected to Modeh Ani.
Easier said than done. The last time I encountered a person who expressed this wonder, attention and thoughtfulness upon the act of waking consciousness was in college spoken by a classmate who was tripping on LSD.
Practice gratitude and awareness every day even if only for 2 minutes. After a while it will become a daily practice. It takes a long time but stick with it. You'll be amazed.
I love this… and it gave me a lot of encouragement and reassurance (can’t quite express it in words: my words get stuck in my head sometimes, cognitive stroke effect stuff, plus age etc). Just wanted to thank you. A lot. Love and purrs from Scotland from me and Blixa cat
Some feelings and understandings are really beyond words.
No words are adequate to express them.
We actually have a word in English that means that:
"Ineffable is an adjective that means too great, extreme, or sacred to be expressed or described in words."
it would be nice if God existed....
I absolutely love this. Gratitude has changed the way I experience my life. One of the simplest shifts for me was moving from “I have to” to “I get to.” I get to wake up. I get to stand on my own two feet. I get to go to work. I get to live this ordinary life. Nothing outside of me changed first—my way of seeing changed, and that changed everything. Gratitude has become one of the deepest spiritual practices of my life. Thank you for sharing. ❤️
You made us aware of the importance of awareness
Each morning upon waking I say, "Thank you Lord for another day. Baruch Hashem." After my Bar Mitzvah I would recite the Modeh Ani every morning, until I had a crisis of faith at 16 when my beloved Aunt Dorothy died of cancer, only 52, and suffered much. When she visited me at age 22 and restored my faith, I changed my morning prayer of thanks and made it mine, not any different from the Modeh Ani.
god did not give you another day, Evolution did!....
Evolution...created by G-d!
hominins created in his image 10 million years ago?
Faith is something you either get or don't get. I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I don't care whether you believe or not, that is your business.
I'm going to add this to my gratitude practice in the morning. Thank you so much, Vanessa!
Me, too!
My partner and I say this prayer together every morning. Thank you for this deep dive into a foundational piece of Jewish prayer and the Jewish psyche.
Thank you for this piece. I hope to say this prayer
-and consciously appreciate the everyday things I take for granted-every day. Amen!
Profound. I am in my first morning after my second knee replacement surgery (thanks to G-d that he only gave me two) and I can intimately appreciate everything that you wrote. Life is good, but the nerve blocker still hasn't worn off. Ask me again on Friday. 😁
I have had two knee replacements, so I understand where you are coming from!
Keep taking the Tylenol you have presumably been instructed to take, and even on Friday you will find that life is good and that it will get better over the next six weeks or so, even if it is two steps forward and one step back. (Think of it as a dance?) Listen to a lot of upbeat music!
Two months after my second knee replacement, at age 71, I was able to take partner dancing lessons including East Coast Swing and Salsa for several hours each week. Yes, "results may vary", but keep your sunny side up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv0hbLwvvpw&list=RDdv0hbLwvvpw&start_radio=1
I am 85 and not an observant Jew, but I say this prayer every morning and attend to every word. When I go for a walk, I express my thanks for still being able to do so. Being grateful for little things is actually a way to remain young....and amazed. Thank you for that wonderful piece.
I loved this. Thank you. Noticing the present, honoring the present. Such a great way to stay grounded and an honest way to respect the self as she is not as she could be if we did all the things during our days. I have a new way to stay connected to Modeh Ani.
Easier said than done. The last time I encountered a person who expressed this wonder, attention and thoughtfulness upon the act of waking consciousness was in college spoken by a classmate who was tripping on LSD.
Practice gratitude and awareness every day even if only for 2 minutes. After a while it will become a daily practice. It takes a long time but stick with it. You'll be amazed.