Omer 2025 Day 6

 Day 5 | Day 7

Day 6: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Yesod in Chesed, Connection in Loving-kindness

This book is full of examples of the sefirot. Honestly, it was hard to choose just one day for it. Elsa's mantra, "be brave" (gevurah). The beauty of the land juxtaposed with the despair of the Depression and the moments of compassion amid exploitation and disinterest (tiferet). The family's endurance through the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression (netzach). The glory/humility of surviving and holding onto their sense of self (hod). And, of course, Elsa's reluctant leadership (malchut). We could just stop counting the omer right here. This book covers them all. But there are other worthy books for the rest of our days, and ultimately, the relationship between Elsa and her daughter, Loreda, is a perfect example of yesod in chesed, connection in loving-kindness. 

Hannah has said of this book that she struggled to create conflict between characters whose main, if not only concern, would be survival, and then she thought of putting a teenage daughter in it. Between teenage angst and the inevitable mother-daughter drama that comes at that age, the relationship between Elsa and Loreda provided conflict and a sense of normalcy against the historical backdrop of climate disaster and financial ruin that was the 1930s. Elsa and Loreda have a bond that can't be broken, no matter their circumstances or their arguments. They come back to each other and support each other through every tragedy and every fight, because they love each other.

"You are of me, Loreda, in a way that can never be broken. You taught me love. You, first in the whole world, and my love for you will outlive me."