From Gratitude to Blessings and Back

An exquisite combination of Judaism's common blessings, stories from everyday life, and tales and wisdom from Jewish tradition, this book is a source of inspiration and a cause for self-reflection. A resource of over fifty blessings in addition to thoughts about gratitude, this slim volume opens the door for readers to acknowledge the opportunities for thankfulness as they reflect on their personal history and their day-to-day lives. Seeing opportunities for blessings can lead the way to seeing the beauty in their lives. The authors, a storyteller and a scholar who are long-time friends, have brought their diverse skills, insights, and experiences to help people discover the blessings in their own lives and connect afresh to their religious paths. Every person's life is comprised of stories. Each story provides an opportunity for insight into the human condition, as well as a chance to think about the deeper meaning in our lives. Connecting our personal stories–our joys, troubles, and triumphs–to messages from the world's great religions can repair links that for some have long been broken. Many of the book's stories are warm, light, and humorous glimpses into treasured moments like the ones in the lives we all lead.