One of our customs at Friday night services these past few years has been to share some of the national days of celebration. Today—this Wednesday, May 17—happens to be World Stationery Day (lovely), National Pinot Grigio Day (fun!), National Cherry Cobbler Day (delicious), and most noticeably to me, National Work From Home Day. I am frequently reminded of the challenges of the time when we were in lockdown, isolated from our families, friends, and sacred community, with no choice but to make our homes into our workspaces, our schools, our houses of worship, our everything. And still, I think our shared traumas also created space for us to build more flexibility into our schedules, to re-evaluate our priorities, and to create more time to be at home.
Today, whether you’re able to work from home or not, might you take some time to reflect on other learnings from our time at home? Now that we’ve had a little distance, it seems appropriate to reflect on the joys and the challenges, the learnings and takeaways from our time in lockdown. For me, personally, I feel so grateful for my home and family, and have also come to realize that other places and spaces—most significantly, our synagogue and schools—feel like home, too. It really feels so good to be back.
Where do you feel most at home? Is it with certain people, eating certain foods, hearing certain songs? What makes a space feel homey? When and how has Wise been a home for you and your family?
On this Work From Home Day, may we find blessing in all the spaces that we call home. Our homes may include corners for play, for learning, for meals, for worship, even for work. And our spaces that were traditionally reserved for prayer, activity, or service have the potential to, at times, feel just like home as well.
—Cantor Emma Lutz