Kosher Fitness
By Michael Ungar
The Serenity Prayer is one that many of us have heard over the years. While for some it seems like nothing more than a greeting card sentiment, there is deep truth in its words.
We live in a world with no shortage of challenges. The adversity that we face is not just on a global scale, but can apply to our nation, our communities, and even our families.
There are huge things like hurricanes that we cannot change, so according to the prayer we must accept them; scientific research, however, shows that our climate is changing and weather is becoming more unpredictable and severe. Scientists point to many things that we can do—personally and on a grander scale—to alleviate the situation. This is where we run into the “wisdom to know the difference.” Sometimes we assume that we must accept things as they are (“it is what it is”), when change is possible; other times, we judge that situations can be changed when they cannot. It does require wisdom.
Rabbi Harold Kushner’s famous book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, addresses this very issue. His son was stricken with a terrible disease that took his life at a young age; this prompted Kushner to write the book. He notably did not call the book Why Bad Things… but rather When Bad Things… He claims that we cannot understand why the world operates as it does… why the wicked often prosper, while the righteous suffer. All we can do is choose how to react when bad things happen. We must, he argues, be there to support each other.
This applies broadly; not just in a spiritual sense. As a personal trainer for older adults, I see clients with a variety of circumstances from dementia to Parkinson’s Disease to arthritis. None of them chose to have these ailments; none of them was deserving of their diagnoses. At the same time, none of them has given up on trying to maintain as much independence as possible. They have made a choice about how to respond to their circumstances. They may not be able to run a marathon any longer, but they can strive to be as fit as possible to enjoy life to its fullest.
The Serenity Prayer is not just sentimental tripe. It is actually a guide for us—not just in spiritual matters—but in our physical well-being, as well. We all must decide what we can control and what is out of our hands. As for those things we cannot control, it is still up to us to choose how to react.
This blog was originally published on kosher-fitness.com on November 12, 2024 by Rabbi Ungar. Image from printablee.com.
