Tonight we will count Day 35 of the Omer, which is 5 weeks of the counting. Day 35 is referred to as Malkhut sheh b’Hod, Shekhinah within Expansiveness. Shekhinah is a way of looking at Malkhut (meaning kingdom). When God or godliness dwells in one central location, you have a kingdom.
With each and every step, I try to hold myself with integrity and to put godliness in every interaction. There is an entire world out there that matters and depends on my integrity. Sometimes I struggle, but still I believe that is my responsibility to follow Gandhi’s saying and “be the change you want to see in the world.” If I consciously embrace a world of godliness than perhaps my steps will guide me to higher ground when climbing to higher ground is not an option.
To live in the bigger world, I have to remember to walk gently, to honor truth even when it hurts, and to constantly strive to be my best self even when I am dealing with the shadow of others. The world depends on people actively being the best they can be. As a mother, a teacher, a friend, a writer, and a human being, I have no choice but to always put my best foot forward.
Surrendering to life’s darkness isn’t an option, yet it is often how I feel when I battle the demons that exist around me. In every realm (personal and more universal) that I travel I see darkness, but it is my job to hold myself in light and to find others that endeavor to do the same. I am not an island; although there are moments that I feel like one. Reality is that it takes many loving souls to make the larger world a better place.
Will you join me? With each breath, I pray for Malkhut sheh b’Hod, Shekhinah within Expansiveness