Elul 1: Souls Ajar by Raychel Kubby Adler

“The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.”
~ Emily Dickinson

An inviting tap on the empty chair next to me was enough. Jackie turned to her husband at their otherwise empty table, nodded yes, and got up to join us. At my request, the eight people at our auction table inched their chairs closer and our friends slid comfortably into place. Later I got an email from Jackie saying, “Thank you for welcoming us to your table. It made all the difference for our night.”

The week before, I witnessed a similar gesture at my daughter’s new dance class. Though Marley’s skill set made her more than ready for this troupe, and even though she had known many of these girls before, she was intimidated knowing the troupe had been dancing together for three years. Marley hung back saying, “I’ll just watch,” when one girl, usually shy and withdrawn, stepped out of the glob of girls.

“Come on Marley. You learn routines so fast.” That was it. Marley shot me a look, shrugged her shoulders, and found a space alongside the others.

This is the art of welcoming: being open as well as extending invitations. Welcoming brings ease – makes people feel wanted and accepted. It allows us to sanctify a moment, cherish a relationship, receive and embrace. I was intrigued when Morah Shoshy, my 1st grade Sunday school teacher, told us that shalom meant hello, good bye and peace. As a verb, it goes even further to suggest safety or completeness. We welcome to make whole. May you welcome the taste of the fruits of summer. Invite someone new to your next celebration. Open your heart big and wide to acknowledge all that is before you.


Raychel Kubby Adler is a writer, wellness and fitness coach, mom, and breast cancer previvor. www.choicepointwellness.com