By Janet R., and originally written for the Mayyim Hayyim Blogcreated at: 2010-05-17

Being an atheist has worked well for me.  I’ve explored religions, never found much meaning in them, and have happily existed as a culturally Jewish non-believer. I’ve never quite understood what ‘spiritual’ means, except maybe it’s what I felt at the end of a couple of yoga classes, or while listening to some classical music.  At times I’ve envied those who believe, those who can turn to a religion for meaning and comfort.

My mother’s death in September was one of those times. If only I could sit Shiva (seven-day period of mourning), or go to a service, or consult with a rabbi, or a minister for that matter.  Instead, I found myself grappling to find ways to acknowledge my grief, to understand it, and to move through it.   I thought maybe some structure would help, maybe a time limit.  I’d give myself two months to flounder and feel and to not know what to do: after two months I wanted my life to go back to some sense of normalcy.

As it happened, a friend had given me a gift certificate for an immersion at Mayyim Hayyim several years before, on the occasion of my divorce.  Of course I thanked her, while thinking to myself, ‘she really doesn’t know me that well,’ and promptly tossed it out. When my mother died, the same friend inquired whether I still had the gift certificate—maybe this would be a good time to use it?   After confessing to ‘misplacing’ it, I accepted another one. And then I thought, ‘what the heck, I’ll try anything.  I’m lost and confused and it can’t make it worse, right?’

No one could be more surprised than me to report the following:  I decided to immerse two months (and a day) after my mother’s death and one day before my birthday.  At first I obsessed a bit; did I really belong at that place?  Wasn’t it a bit disingenuous?  I thought about writing a ritual for the occasion but stumbled (what did I know about rituals, after all?), lost interest, and decided I’d just go and do it—whatever it was. At least I could tell my friend she’d been helpful. read more…

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