From Gratitude to Blessings and Back

An exquisite combination of Judaism's common blessings, stories from everyday life, and tales and wisdom from Jewish tradition, this book is a source of inspiration and a cause for self-reflection. A resource of over fifty blessings in addition to thoughts about gratitude, this slim volume opens the door for readers to acknowledge the opportunities for thankfulness as they reflect on their personal history and their day-to-day lives. Seeing opportunities for blessings can lead the way to seeing the beauty in their lives. The authors, a storyteller and a scholar who are long-time friends, have brought their diverse skills, insights, and experiences to help people discover the blessings in their own lives and connect afresh to their religious paths.Every person's life is comprised of stories. Each story provides an opportunity for insight into the human condition, as well as a chance to think about the deeper meaning in our lives. Connecting our personal stories--our joys, troubles, and triumphs--to messages from the world's great religions can repair links that for some have long been broken. Many of the book's stories are warm, light, and humorous glimpses into treasured moments like the ones in the lives we all lead.""I've been learning from Jewish blessings for twenty years. They expand my practice of prayer into a daily posture of thanksgiving, wonder, and praise. The personal, interactive approach of Price and Teutsch open this tradition up as none have before.""--Jon M. Sweeney, author ofThe St. Francis Holy Fool Prayer Book""Judaism's heritage of blessings--its one-line prayers of wonder--make even the everyday extraordinary. Here they are at last, a beautifully arranged collection, with short and thoughtful commentary drawn from contemporary life and the gamut of Jewish literature. Whether enjoying an apple, seeing a rainbow, holding a grandchild, or calling a meeting to order, you can find here the blessing that infuses the moment with gratitude and spiritual meaning."" --Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Friedman Professor of Liturgy, Hebrew Union College""From Gratitude to Blessings and Back is a beautifully rendered, contemplative guide for a world in need of mindfulness. A wonderful series of blessings and personal spiritual ruminations, this book will provide a meaningful entry point for families deepening their spiritual path together: no matter the age, faith background or belief system....""--Elizabeth McChesney, Director of Children's Services and Family Engagement, Chicago Public Library System""This wise andgentle book invites us to orient ourselves to awareness andwonder and gives us language, both traditional and contemporary, to express gratitude. It can serve as an aid to spiritual seekers and aresource for rabbis and teachers.""--Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College""This book is a bridge connecting the cultivation of gratitude to the treasure chest of Jewish blessings. It highlights blessings that have traditional places in the set liturgy and opens the possibility of using them to give voice to our gratitude--a blessing when resolving a conflict, a blessing to begin a community meeting, a blessing when hearing good news! Aided by this resource, a reader will be better able to discern and be grateful for moments of blessing.""--Jacob Staub, Professor of Jewish, Reconstructionist Rabbinical CollegeMarilyn A. Price is an international storyteller, puppeteer, educator, and author. A specialist in creativity training, she heads a not-for-profit foundation, TriBraining, Inc., which teaches how to reach multiple learners within formal and experiential venues. Her published works include books on puppetry, original stories, and a primer using puppets to teach the Hebrew alphabet. Of her many accomplishments she prizes her work as the puppeteer for the Chicago Public Library and