My Grandfather's Blessings - Suggested Discussion Questions

For those who are unable to complete the reading prior to our meeting, I provide a list of passages and questions from the reading so that you have something to reflect upon. These passages and questions are simply a guideline to jump start conversation. As always, my preference is that you spend the entire evening sharing your answer to the final question.

Introduction: Page 3 "My grandfather was a man of many blessings. These blessings were prescribed generations ago by the great teachings rabbis, and each is considered to be a moment of mindfulness -- an acknowledgment that holiness has been met in the midst of ordinary life. Not only are there blessings to be said over food; there are blessings to be said when you wash your hands, when you see the sun rise or set, when something is lost of when it is found, when something begins or ends. Even the humblest of bodily functions has its own blessing."

• What is your definition of "blessing"? How does it relate to Dr. Remen's definition: "an acknowledgment that holiness has been met in the midst of ordinary life"?
• Are there aspects of Dr. Remen's definition with which you disagree? Why?
• I love Dr. Remen's description that saying a blessing is a 'moment of mindfulness'. So often I get caught up with routine and forget to acknowledge my blessings, and I recognize how that negatively affects my outlook. What are the things you do regularly to acknowledge your blessings?

 

Pg 7 "We do not serve the weak or the broken. What we serve is the wholeness in each other and wholeness of life. That part in you that I serve is the same part that is strengthened in me when I serve. Unlike helping and fixing and rescuing, service is mutual. There are many ways to serve and strengthen the life around us: through friendship or parenthood or work, by kindness, by compassion, by generosity or acceptance. Through our philanthropy, our example, our encouragement, our active participation, our belief. No matter how we do this, our service will bless us. When we offer our blessings generously, the light in the world is strengthened, around us and in us."

• Often, service is aimed towards those 'in need', which implies that those serving have 'more than' those receiving the service. I love when someone challenges my usage of a word, and Dr. Remen's definition of 'service' does that for me in two ways:
  • I am constantly seeking ways to interact with people where we share a common ground. I have never been comfortable with the term 'service' because of the implied difference noted above. What is your opinion?
  • Dr. Remen's definition expands the opportunities we have available to serve others by removing the 'need' factor. It allows me to perceive that I share my blessings in many ways that I take for granted. What is your opinion?

Was there a particular passage that made you stop and either consider or appreciate?