May. I have patience?

Beloved, It’s May. Which is, pardon the bad pun, A-may-zing. The calendar seems to have flipped from March to May instantly. Time flies like an arrow. (And pardon the dad joke: fruit flies like bananas.) — All minutes (or any other quantity of time) are not the same length. Some time passes quickly. Some slowly. Zall’s second law: “HOW LONG A MINUTE IS DEPENDS ON WHICH SIDE OF THE BATHROOM DOOR YOU’RE ON.” — And. Time does not pass on my schedule. — I don’t publish an article on the last Monday of the month to remind us that 77% is often enough, and pushing ourselves constantly to strive for perfection is deleterious to our souls. And a tradition started this year: the first article of the month is a chatty one. So here we are, chatting about time and patience. — I really thought I’d have the book done and in your hands by now. But the launch is happening on its schedule. Which isn’t the same as the schedule I had in mind. And, that dissonance can lead to frustration. So, I practice patience. — It’s hard to stay patient. But what choice do I have? Suffer with being frustrated? — I’m learning to talk compassionately to myself—as I would to a 10-year old—acknowledging that the thing I want is not happening (or going to happen on my timeline) and reminding myself that it’s OK to feel frustrated. — I’m frustrated that the book isn’t yet in your hands. — Happy May! 💙rB Rabbi Brian Zachary May-er

What We Pass Down

July 17, 2026

“I have the honor of sitting with the Rabbi,” Martin says as I find my seat at the reception to celebrate his granddaughter’s Bat Mitzvah. At times like this, I’m not just Brian. I’m Rabbi Brian. A stand-in for God, Judaism, and all religious persons they’ve met in the past. ✧ ✧ ✧ “We pass the Torah from generation to

See Me.

July 9, 2026

Shoes.Shoes.Shoes. The long glass wall separates me from a display of more than 100,000 shoes at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Men’s shoes and women’s shoes and children’s shoes and baby shoes. Everyday shoes and work shoes and formal shoes and boots and sandals and slippers and high-heeled shoes and orthopedic shoes. Woven sandals and wooden-soled shoes and leather shoes and cloth shoes. Shoes

Last Tuesday / This Tuesday

June 30, 2026

Last Tuesday. I’m sitting in an Adirondack chair, my feet resting on a well-weathered log here in Sisters, Oregon. It’s my family’s annual week-long vacation at the same beautiful house we’ve rented for the past four summers. My favorite spot. Just above the little creek. Most of my worries are 153 miles away. ✧✧✧ This Tuesday. I’m sitting in my

May. I have patience?