Setting Sail

Much like worshipers in other faiths, Jews read a different chapter of Torah each week. Since there is a regular pattern, we can track back to our birthday and find the parsha, or portion, that was being read during the week we were born. Some people read this parsha when looking for inspiration or guidance. Use this website: Jewish birthday to find your birthday on the Jewish calendar and what parsha was
being read. 
Judaism is about faith as a journey. The work Hebrew, in 
Hebrew is Ivrit which means to cross over, as in crossing a river. Or to wander. Or to journey over and across. Our souls long to move. 

My birth parsha is Bo, which is the parsha in which Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. It is the parsha of a sudden departure after the amazing gift of freedom. There is more to it, but this parsha captures the notion of Judaism as a journey, one from a narrow space to a wide space. 

So maybe this is why I have always, as in always, wanted to run away to sea, to live on a sailboat, and have been obsessed with mermaids. 
Buried in this craving to wander the sea however, is the fear that I will not have the skill or ability to sail. That I will turtle the boat in the first gust of wind. Just like in Bo freedom is linked to fear. The Israelites have been slaves and now have to learn how to be free, and the prospect is terrifying. 

So I decided it was time to leave the narrow place of my fears and explore the freedom of sailing. Ric, my friend Cindy, and the wedding dress, and I headed to San Diego for 5 days of sailing lessons. I knew it was the right place when we walked up to the Kona Kai marina and saw the gates...mermaids! We had to stop and dance with them.

The boat is 40 feet and equipped with two master suites, a kitchen and living area. Plenty of room for three people to spread out for four days, learn to sail and take several written tests.

We headed to the showers on shore every morning, and returned to our lovely floating home, through the mermaid gates, and out to sea for our adventure. 
Maybe that is the message of my parsha, have adventures even if they are a bit scary. Take a chance when adventure knocks and welcome the chance to learn something new. Let the fear of staying in the narrow space chase you into the wide, open, unknown. 

And then love every minute of the experience. We sailed for three days straight....and then on the fourth we pulled out the wedding dress.