{"id":92640,"date":"2026-05-21T09:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritualsparks.beehiiv.com\/p\/spiritual-sparks-readers-respond-hidden-seasons-hidden-strength"},"modified":"2026-05-21T09:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:57:00","slug":"spiritual-sparks-readers-respond-hidden-seasons-hidden-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/spiritual-sparks-readers-respond-hidden-seasons-hidden-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Sparks: Readers Respond \u2014 Hidden Seasons, Hidden Strength"},"content":{"rendered":"\n    <div class='beehiiv'><style>\n  .bh__table, .bh__table_header, .bh__table_cell { border: 1px solid #C0C0C0; }\n  .bh__table_cell { padding: 5px; background-color: #FFFFFF; }\n  .bh__table_cell p { color: #2D2D2D; font-family: 'Helvetica',Arial,sans-serif !important; overflow-wrap: break-word; }\n  .bh__table_header { padding: 5px; background-color:#F1F1F1; }\n  .bh__table_header p { color: #2A2A2A; font-family:'Trebuchet MS','Lucida Grande',Tahoma,sans-serif !important; overflow-wrap: break-word; }\n<\/style><div class='beehiiv__body'><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">Over the past months, many readers have shared reflections that were thoughtful, moving, humorous, and deeply human. Some stayed with me long after I read them.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">With identifying details changed to preserve privacy, I wanted to share a few excerpts. Often, the conversation after a message can be just as meaningful as the message itself.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">From: <i>The Circle Game \u2014 The seasons return, but we do not remain the same<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\"><i>Q: Is there a particular season of the year that feels spiritually meaningful or renewing to you?<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cAnd perhaps there is so much meaning on a deeper level in the Fall of our lives, some sadness with leaves falling, and my parents passing in the Fall. And the deep meaning of the holidays of contemplation, when we review our lives and hope we see life with a new awareness.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cWinter. Most view winter as cold but I see warmth. A time to cozy up close with family and friends, to feel love and learn from each other as we stay warm together.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cI\u2019m going through the Winter season. It has made me more sensitive to other people\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">From:<i> Walk a Mile in My Shoes \u2014 Before judging, there\u2019s often more to the story<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\"><i>Motto: He Ain\u2019t Heavy, He\u2019s My Brother<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cThis was a big one for me! I read it through tears and heartfelt understanding because of a family situation that has just come to light. A close relative was recently diagnosed with a condition that has rendered him nearly incapacitated. He can no longer engage in one activity that he particularly loved, and he is totally broken.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">There are many issues to address and I will work hard to face these challenges. This Spiritual Spark came at just the right time with just the right amount of wisdom and direction I needed today. I will think about your words and your insight as I figure out the path ahead.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">The Boys Town motto, \u2018He Ain\u2019t Heavy, He\u2019s My Brother,\u2019 couldn\u2019t have been more perfect.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">Another reader wrote:<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cYour point about being present reminded me of a funny but true quip: \u2018Job could endure everything except the consolation of his friends.\u2019 His buddies did pretty good when they just sat quietly with him for a week. It was when they opened their mouths that they got in trouble.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">It\u2019s so hard to just sit with someone who is grieving, but often that is what is really needed.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">From: <i>Are You a Good Listener?<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cI know that I\u2019m truly listening when I ask for clarification or an expansion of the thought just shared. I know I\u2019ve been heard when someone asks a follow-up question or asks for more information about the topic I\u2019ve expressed. Conversation is meaningful when I listen and when I feel heard.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cListening is a true art and must be practiced with intention.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">From: <i>Can Sugar Look Like Salt?<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\"><i>Q: Have you ever realized you were seeing someone\u2019s costume \u2014 and not who they really were?<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cI see that every day in the trauma work I do. I love to see when they finish doing the inner work that they finally feel safe taking off their costume.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">From: <i>Living With Fascination<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cThe most fascinating person I have met, oddly, is my grandfather. Not because his life was full of some wild or extravagant stories, but simply because I have known him for 33 years, and discovered more about him in the past two years than I have ever known.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">He is a very reserved man, and growing up, he never told us much about his past. Anything, really. He is now remarried, and it\u2019s actually his wife who seems to have unlocked him. When we occasionally meet for breakfast, I discover more and more about his past every time.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">He was a runaway?! He was actually born in the South?! He never knew his father?! What!?<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">It\u2019s most fascinating to me because I had a made-up past created in my young mind, and am now being surprised by the tales of a very quiet 90-year-old man.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">From: <i>Running on Empty<\/i><\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">\u201cYou ask what keeps a person going even when life is difficult. Personally, I feel like a dung beetle, pushing that ball of dung along. It\u2019s sort of like being hard wired to keep moving on, maybe not always forward, maybe rolling one step forward and two steps back, but with the knowledge that life\u2019s travails always pass.<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">As they say, this too shall pass. Fortunately for me, it always does ;-)\u201d<\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">Wishing you a week of hidden strength, meaningful conversation, and people who truly listen, <\/p><p class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;\">Rabbi Ze\u2019ev Smason <\/p><\/div><div class='beehiiv__footer'><br class='beehiiv__footer__break'><hr class='beehiiv__footer__line'><a  class=\"beehiiv__footer_link\" style=\"text-align: center;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beehiiv.com\/?utm_campaign=bcd4d15e-597b-4e8b-9f23-add1a0c45dd6&utm_medium=post_rss&utm_source=spiritual_sparks\">Powered by beehiiv<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n  ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"beehiiv\">\n<div class=\"beehiiv__body\">\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Over the past months, many readers have shared reflections that were thoughtful, moving, humorous, and deeply human. Some stayed with me long after I read them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">With identifying details changed to preserve privacy, I wanted to share a few excerpts. Often, the conversation after a message can be just as meaningful as the message itself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">From: <i>The Circle Game \u2014 The seasons return, but we do not remain the same<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><i>Q: Is there a particular season of the year that feels spiritually meaningful or renewing to you?<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cAnd perhaps there is so much meaning on a deeper level in the Fall of our lives, some sadness with leaves falling, and my parents passing in the Fall. And the deep meaning of the holidays of contemplation, when we review our lives and hope we see life with a new awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cWinter. Most view winter as cold but I see warmth. A time to cozy up close with family and friends, to feel love and learn from each other as we stay warm together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m going through the Winter season. It has made me more sensitive to other people\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">From:<i> Walk a Mile in My Shoes \u2014 Before judging, there\u2019s often more to the story<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><i>Motto: He Ain\u2019t Heavy, He\u2019s My Brother<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cThis was a big one for me! I read it through tears and heartfelt understanding because of a family situation that has just come to light. A close relative was recently diagnosed with a condition that has rendered him nearly incapacitated. He can no longer engage in one activity that he particularly loved, and he is totally broken.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">There are many issues to address and I will work hard to face these challenges. This Spiritual Spark came at just the right time with just the right amount of wisdom and direction I needed today. I will think about your words and your insight as I figure out the path ahead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">The Boys Town motto, \u2018He Ain\u2019t Heavy, He\u2019s My Brother,\u2019 couldn\u2019t have been more perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Another reader wrote:<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cYour point about being present reminded me of a funny but true quip: \u2018Job could endure everything except the consolation of his friends.\u2019 His buddies did pretty good when they just sat quietly with him for a week. It was when they opened their mouths that they got in trouble.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">It\u2019s so hard to just sit with someone who is grieving, but often that is what is really needed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">From: <i>Are You a Good Listener?<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cI know that I\u2019m truly listening when I ask for clarification or an expansion of the thought just shared. I know I\u2019ve been heard when someone asks a follow-up question or asks for more information about the topic I\u2019ve expressed. Conversation is meaningful when I listen and when I feel heard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cListening is a true art and must be practiced with intention.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">From: <i>Can Sugar Look Like Salt?<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><i>Q: Have you ever realized you were seeing someone\u2019s costume \u2014 and not who they really were?<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cI see that every day in the trauma work I do. I love to see when they finish doing the inner work that they finally feel safe taking off their costume.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">From: <i>Living With Fascination<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cThe most fascinating person I have met, oddly, is my grandfather. Not because his life was full of some wild or extravagant stories, but simply because I have known him for 33 years, and discovered more about him in the past two years than I have ever known.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">He is a very reserved man, and growing up, he never told us much about his past. Anything, really. He is now remarried, and it\u2019s actually his wife who seems to have unlocked him. When we occasionally meet for breakfast, I discover more and more about his past every time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">He was a runaway?! He was actually born in the South?! He never knew his father?! What!?<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">It\u2019s most fascinating to me because I had a made-up past created in my young mind, and am now being surprised by the tales of a very quiet 90-year-old man.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">From: <i>Running on Empty<\/i><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">\u201cYou ask what keeps a person going even when life is difficult. Personally, I feel like a dung beetle, pushing that ball of dung along. It\u2019s sort of like being hard wired to keep moving on, maybe not always forward, maybe rolling one step forward and two steps back, but with the knowledge that life\u2019s travails always pass.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">As they say, this too shall pass. Fortunately for me, it always does ;-)\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Wishing you a week of hidden strength, meaningful conversation, and people who truly listen, <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\">Rabbi Ze\u2019ev Smason <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"beehiiv__footer\"><br class=\"beehiiv__footer__break\"><\/p>\n<hr class=\"beehiiv__footer__line\"><a target=\"_blank\" class=\"beehiiv__footer_link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beehiiv.com\/?utm_campaign=bcd4d15e-597b-4e8b-9f23-add1a0c45dd6&amp;utm_medium=post_rss&amp;utm_source=spiritual_sparks\" rel=\"noopener\">Powered by beehiiv<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14776],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92640"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92640"}],"version-history":[{"count":64,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95379,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92640\/revisions\/95379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}