Dear Readers,
Some people hate airports. They are so big and busy. There’s so much noise and confusion, in addition to so much walking from one part to another.
Personally, I like airports. Let me clarify: I don’t mean that I like standing in a long security line snaking forward slowly when my plane is about to close its doors. But when I have those few extra minutes before my plane departs, I like to watch all the people coming and going, rushing to and from their destinations, imagining where they all might be heading. I watch the families with young children heading off to their long-awaited vacation spots, and the men and women in work attire preparing to clinch their next big deal. I like to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows, and watch the planes descend and ascend on to new journeys.
What I like about airports is the movement. Some people are running and some walk leisurely; some work on their laptops as they await their departure and some talk on phones about their upcoming meetings.
Most people in airports have a sense of purpose about them; they know what they need to do. There is constant movement. Determined, focused movement.
Every traveler has a destination. No one just flounders, unsure of their endpoint. If a traveler doesn’t know how to progress, they ask for assistance. If something has gone wrong along the way—they missed a connecting flight, or their flight has been delayed or cancelled—they actively work on arranging new solutions.
Airports remind me of a quote from the book of prophets. The Prophet Zechariah says: “I shall make you movers (mehalchim) among these who stand still (omdim)” (Zachariah 3:7). From a spiritual perspective, the souls of human beings are considered mehalchim (“walkers”) who move, while angels are considered “those who stand still.”
We need to constantly be on the move, reaching for new heights. We cannot suffice with stagnating or staying as we are. Rather than remaining stuck, we chip away at our fears and insecurities and whatever is blocking our progress. We challenge ourselves to go that extra mile, to reach up and develop parts of ourselves we never thought we could, to discover new areas of growing or new solutions to our challenges.
The growth and movement we seek may start with a call, an email, an offer or an inquiry to learn or do something new, but it can help us travel to new frontiers, to reach destinations we never imagined possible.
Wishing you a week of positive movement.
Chana Weisberg
Editor, TJW
