Kosher Fitness
By Michael Ungar
On April 8, I was fortunate to share a once-in-a-lifetime event with my family: the solar eclipse of 2024. Living in suburban Cleveland, we were in the path of totality. I knew the experience would be cool, but nothing prepared me for the overwhelming awe of those three minutes of totality. Within a half hour of the beginning of the eclipse, it began to cool down (it was an unseasonably warm day); as the totality approached it began to get darker and darker—almost like the moments after sunset. At the moment of totality, we took off our glasses and were treated to the most amazing Ring of Fire. As long as I live, I doubt I will ever forget the sights, sounds and feelings of those moments. It was chilly. It was quiet. The wind stilled. The moon and sun put on a spectacular show.
Of course, eclipses occur quite rarely—and total eclipses even less. Nevertheless, there are awesome things around us all the time; by “awesome,” I do not mean in the slang use, but rather in the traditional meaning of inspiring awe. Our world is filled with many terrible things, but there are also many amazing things. Watching cardinals hatch in a nest in the small wild hydrangea in front of our house was awesome. Being there for the birth of each of my children was amazing. Having the opportunity to travel and see man-made wonders (the pyramids of Egypt, the skyscrapers of New York City, Machu Picchu, and the magnificent city of Jerusalem) and natural ones (Iguassu Falls, the Grand Canyon, a Resplendant Quetzal in Costa Rica, and huge tortoises in Galapagos) has made me appreciate how much there is to inspire awe in our world. While there are many horrible acts committed in the world, there are also acts that humans perform that fill me with wonder: donating blood, adopting children, fighting for justice.
When we recognize the awesomeness in our midst, hopefully we begin to cultivate a practice of gratitude. As I have blogged in the past, developing a sense of thankfulness can result in positive health outcomes—both physically and emotionally. We may not only be thankful to a higher power for the marvels of the natural world, but also to the positive accomplishments of our fellow humans. We can also be better at showing how grateful we are to those around us.
The eclipse had a profound effect on me. I hope that it will inspire me to bring more wonder into the world through my actions, and to better appreciate the awesome things and people around me.
This lightly-edited blog with photo was originally published on kosher-fitness.com on 4/9/24 by Rabbi Ungar.
