Spiritual Sparks: Readers Respond

Your voices on love, dreams, purpose, and beauty

On the first Monday of each month we share reflections from readers; your thoughts on the sparks that have spoken to you. This week, voices on four themes: dreams, love, purpose, and beauty.

✨ Dreams

• “My main takeaway from your message is that there are two types of dreams -- the clutter clean up, and ones that may be messages directly from God. I need to try to differentiate between the two in my own sleep cycle.”

• “I no longer remember my dreams, I miss that.”

• “I can think of one dream that resurfaces often and which has given me a new perspective in my real life regarding an important relationship.”

✨ Love

• “My husband is the love of my life! He accepts me for who I am and gives me the space I need to be myself.”

• “I’m reminded of how something little becomes big. Your message on Love is timely. I’ve been feeling alone and unacknowledged. Your Love message gave me an opportunity to look more deeply into my present circumstances. There is a love coming to me that in ways I had forgotten. Thank you.”

• “I shared this with a special someone in my life. His English is passable, but he wanted it translated by ChatGPT so he could fully understand this message, and was very moved by it.”

✨ Purpose

• “My superpower may be sincerity.”

• “A sense of purpose is crucial, especially in our ‘twilight years,’ when some feel put out to pasture.”

• “I substitute teach at a local high school. People tell me I’m crazy, or that I should just relax. But teaching gives me meaning -- especially reaching the kids who are most misunderstood.”

• “We were all put on this earth for a reason. Our mission is to discover our gifts and share them with others.”

✨ Beauty

• “Ever since I can remember, my father always told me, ‘Pretty is as pretty does.’ I believe this is the same message in your email, just phrased differently. He was trying to embed in me that beauty always comes from within.”

✨ A Dream That Changed Everything

One reader shared this deeply personal story:

“A remarkable dream just recently. My mother lived an angry, resentful, mean existence, who would often say to the young man, ‘you will never amount to anything.’ The young man left home at 18, not looking back, and made a life, professional and personal, aligning with his inner guidance, God. The mother passed away 15 years ago, sad and despondent. Two months ago, the mother came to the adult man in a dream, and said, ‘Son, you have lived a beautiful and fulfilling life, true to yourself every step of the way, you are to be proud.’

It’s ok to share the story because it may be helpful to someone somewhere. It completely changed the memory of my mother who suffered terribly and she finally came to me with her heart. Death is final for our bodies but not for our souls.”

Thank you to everyone who shared these reflections. This Thursday we’ll move from reflections of the heart to the table -- from Cabernet to Cookies -- exploring how even the simplest of meals can release sparks of spirituality.

With warmest wishes for a meaningful week,
Rabbi Ze’ev Smason

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