A New My52WOW Book Club Pick…Because I Care

Finally, after six long months, I finished the last My52WOW Book Club pick, Kabbalah for the Layman by Rav Berg.

Hurray!

It was the first book pick of the year…and now it’s July!

And I admit – I stopped and started, and stopped again –sometimes for weeks- before starting again. I am certain I read full chapters with minimal comprehension.

I considered stopping altogether. Who will know, I thought?

But one day, I committed to finishing – and that was about 6 weeks ago.

I admit, it was rough going. And I am not surprised. Even though this book was “for the Layman,” Kabbalah is complicated. Some define Kabbalah as “the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible” – and anything related to mysticism requires dedicated study and meditation and earnest seeking.

It was my one experience with Mysticism in week X of The First 52 Weeks of My 52 Weeks of Worship that inspired # 9 of The 52 Things I Learned During My 52 Weeks of Worship:

There is a reason why the word “intense” exists.

(Disclaimer – In week 9 of The First 52 Weeks, I visited a Christian mystic church, and I am not saying it is the same as Kabbalah. I am just saying it’s all very…deep.)

As it should be. I am glad I pushed through and finish the book. I did glean some gems of wisdom, like this one. And, because I did not experience Kabbalah in any way during My First 52 Weeks, I am glad I learned something new, even if it was a challenging road for me.

So, its time to pick a new book.

*Drum Roll Please*
I will be reading “Because I Care…from My Heart to Yours: Growing Through Life Lesson” by Dee Kane. I received it from a participant in a talk on resilience that I gave at The Women’s Exchange in Wilmette, IL a few months back.

Is this a deep theological tome? No.

And I think  that is ok. After Kabbalah for the Layman, I am up for something light. And, of course, I have been trying to grow through one of the most profound lessons that life has presented me since the “personally challenging year” that started this whole My 52 Weeks of Worship Journey. These lessons are, thankfully, not even close in magnitude to what I was dealing with in 2009 – but they need to be learned nevertheless. I feel like on the other side of these lessons that life is dealing me now…is my best me. Finally. I have been working for a long time to liberate her. But before she shows up strong and fierce, I have some work to do. Some lessons to truly master. Isn’t that always how it goes?

So…I look forward to learning from this book, as I have from all the others in the My52WOW Book Club.

I would love it if you would read along with me – email me and tell me what you think if you do!