Optimism doesn't mean that everything will be great. That’s naivety. Optimism means seeing what’s great within everything.
This week's Torah portion begins, “See, I have placed before you today the blessing and the curse.” This can also be read as: See what I have placed before you today either as a blessing or a curse. We choose how to see our circumstances.
In his book, A Perfect God Created An Imperfect World Perfectly, Rabbi Dr. Elimelech Goldberg, founder of the organization Kids Kicking Cancer, shares the story of Bernard Johnson.
Bernard had been with Kids Kicking Cancer for almost a year and a half. His mom had abandoned the family when he was very young. Bernard’s dad died a little after his eighth birthday. When he was nine their uncle passed away. That was the same year Bernard was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor that had already robbed him of the ability to walk. It was slowly stealing the rest of his body.
While he was still struggling with the cancer, at an event for Kids Kicking Cancer, Bernard shared a few words. Here’s what he had to say:
"And I want to teach you what we do in Kids Kicking Cancer,’ Bernard proclaimed in a loud voice. ‘You can breathe in the light which is your essence and blow out the darkness. You can do this no matter what is going on in your life.’
Optimism does not mean that everything is going to be great. It means that we can respond to everything with greatness.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Benjy Silverman