Inclusion
Elizabeth Foley
She/Her
Regional Account Executive – USA TODAY NETWORK | LOCALiQ
I want to share a meditation from before the Mourner鈥檚 Kaddish in the Reform Jewish prayer book, the Mishkan T鈥檉ilah Reform Siddur.
鈥淚t is a fearful thing to love what death can touch. A Fearful thing to love, hope dream: to be 鈥 to be, oh! to lose. A thing for fools this, and a holy thing, a holy thing to love. For your life has lived in me, your laugh once lifted me, your word was gift to me. To remember this brings a painful joy. Tis a human thing, love, a holy thing, to love what death has touched.鈥
When I was a child, I was afraid of many things: sinkholes, heights, heart attacks, choking, eyes reflecting light back in the dark, death of loved ones, invisible alligators. Many of these things have turned out to not be nearly as much of an issue as I expected, but there is the inevitable, inescapable, universal experience of death. My tradition gives me a way to reframe this painful inevitability into a holy and sacred act: I have the choice to shore up my defenses and protect my heart from pain, or I can choose to love without reservation, to accept loss as part of a natural and inevitable lifecycle and love anyway.
In Judaism, we have the concept of Tikkun Olam, or acts of kindness that repair or heal the world. I will talk about both observing and protecting the natural world, as well as operating a ferret sanctuary for aging and ill ferrets. Some people may be able to do great acts of philanthropy, to rally people behind causes, to be great leaders and instruments of change. Most of us probably won鈥檛 be world-changers in that broad and far-reaching way, but that doesn鈥檛 mean that Tikkun Olam is impossible.
There are daily opportunities to act kindly and with love. Many of them are small, almost insignificant, but I truly believe that those seemingly unimportant acts add up. It may not be possible for me to change the world, but if I have made even a slight difference in another鈥檚 life, or have improved things for someone else in some way, no matter how small, that is part of healing and repairing the world, and part of the holy and human act of love.
A personal story of mine鈥
Twice in my childhood, my father had to remove alligators from our yard.
Lizards often got into the house, and there was no shortage of snakes and snapping turtles. Around preschool age, I was taught that if an actual alligator wants to eat you, running in a straight line would be instinctive, but odds are better if I ran in a zig-zag pattern. This is something you learn if you live in the part of Florida where alligators sometimes make their way from the lake to your front door.
Around the time I turned 13, my parents agreed that I could have a pocket pet of some kind 鈥 like a gerbil or hamster. Before that could happen though, I was offered a free ferret from someone in town. She was neglected, very geriatric, and hairless 鈥 she immediately took my heart. Here was a tiny frail thing, clearly nearing the end of her life but, the bond was deep, and she was mine to love. I remember one time I accidentally let her loose in a Florida Wendy鈥檚, and sometimes wonder if the manager with a shocked face ever thinks about the time a very bald weasel scampered towards them with an alarmed teenaged girl in pursuit. We pretended nothing happened, because, well, what can you say?
I now operate Foley鈥檚 Ferrets Sanctuary and Rescue, and allow elderly, ailing, or neglected ferrets, who are no longer wanted, to come live in the lap of luxury, with good food, lots of toys, excellent medical care, and plenty of free roam time.
Lucky for them, I made it to adulthood without being eaten by an alligator. (are you sensing a theme yet? I have a complicated relationship with alligators).
My husband and I have turned our back yard into a tiny wildlife sanctuary, full of native plants, possums, racoons, turtles, owls, and all the little things that work together to thrive. Each day, I am in awe of all the magical things growing out of and thriving in our small yard.
My parents raised me, in word and deed, to do no harm. Alligators were removed and relocated without injury, turtles were helped across streets, injured birds turned over to appropriate rehabbers.
Today, I find that the best way to relax and center myself is by spending time in nature or by caring for animals. My home is not a natural occurrence, but the spiders that make their way to the corners of the ceiling are. It is my duty to be a good steward, and it is a celebration to be part of the natural world.
Today, I find that the best way to relax and center myself is by spending time in nature or by caring for animals. My home is not a natural occurrence, but the spiders that make their way to the corners of the ceiling are. It is my duty to be a good steward, and it is a celebration to be part of the natural world.
Jewish American Heritage Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to honor and recognize the diverse achievements and contributions Jewish Americans have made to our nation鈥檚 history, society and to culture.