Staring up at the perfect blue sky, just a few white clouds up above; watching the pine needles tremble in a slight breeze; looking at the tattered pine cones on the ground around me, all while singing praises to creation–that’s a good way to remember that with all its flaws, with all its troubles, this is an awfully good world we live in. It deserves praising. It deserves our taking the time to look around and remember just how good a place it is.
By Jewish tradition Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world, and at the picnic after the service, the world had birthday cake. No, really. There was a yellow frosted cake there that said, “Happy Birthday, World!” on it.
This made me smile. And, of course, when the world has birthday cake, one has to have a slice. How can one do otherwise?