This is the perfect time to write about an inspirational book, as The High Holy Days are a time of reflection, repentance and forgiveness. This wonderful and healing book encompasses those reflections. I just had to write about it, before Rosh Hashanah Eve begins, as I felt it was a book of importance.

My Grandfather’s Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging, by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. is a book of 400 pages packed with pure loveliness, and one so powerful and poignant it is difficult to end a chapter without emotions taking over. Remen infuses her childhood memories of life with her grandfather, and life growing up with two parents who were extremely academic.

Nemen’s grandfather was a Rabbi, and he leaned towards the Kabbalistic teachings and way of life. His mysticism reflected throughout her life, and even broke through the borders of science that her academic parents adamantly endorsed. Her grandfather could be heard constantly chanting the Psalms.

In my opinion My Grandfather’s Blessings is a metaphor of her spiritual journey and journey of self-worth. In these journeys Remen comes to blend both sides of her familial religious and academic spectrum into one she can be comfortable with, believe in and participate in, and feel spiritually illuminated in. She also encompasses her medical background within her religious beliefs, and reaches a sense of fulfillment within both.

Her stories, garnered from her patients, are told with respect and dignity, with caring and love. Remen never diminishes the lives of her patients, but rather learns from them, and one can see how they have embellished and enhanced her own life, her spiritual core, and her medical practices. Her patients and their courage gave her insight into life’s beauty, and how one should strive to LIVE their life, and not wallow in it. I won’t repeat any individual story, as I feel you should read each one for yourself. The stories spoke of healing, identity, belonging and the inner power self-worth.

Remen’s stories, although simplistic, are nonetheless powerful in their message. Most of them are based on the accounts of what her cancer patients have divulged to her. But, she has also infused stories regarding her parents, and prose regarding her grandfather, and how he influenced her life, even though he died when she was seven-years old. Both her parents and grandfather made lasting impressions on her…much like Remen’s excellent book has done for me.

Her chapter on lists, both emotional and scientific, give insight into the emotional core, compared with the logical and methodical core of our being, as the lists compare and contrast thoughts and feelings.

Remen shows us how different and divergent paths in life, can eventually cross. Those forked paths, no matter how separated can eventually converge and blend together, joining opposing thoughts, perspectives, emotions and spiritual viewpoints into one fulfilling core.

Remen has written an excellent book for her readers to reflect on for years to come. My Grandfather’s Blessings, is a beautiful book, and a blessing in itself, with lovely and poignant stories that fill the pages, stories of life and death, life’s loveliness, love, forgiveness and redemption. She shows the reader how they should try to see the blessings in their own lives, and acknowledge them. Rachel Naomi Remen’s…My Grandfather’s Blessings is timely in any season, but the stories are particularly pertinent to The Days of Awe in their illumination. What better time of year to not only read this book, but to write about it!

This will be my last post for today, honest.
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Jew Wishes…Peace to you all.
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