Ya’ll, I recently watched East of Eden on Netflix, based on John Steinbeck’s classic novel, and there was one word that kept coming up throughout the story. By the end, it was the word that mattered most: Timshel.

The show follows the Trask family across generations, exploring family rivalries, jealousy, love, and the ways our past can shape who we become. At its heart is a question we can all relate to: Are we destined to repeat the mistakes of those who came before us, or do we have the power to choose a different path?

Timshel is a Hebrew word that means “thou mayest.” In the story, it represents the idea that we have the ability to choose. Our past, our circumstances, our upbringing, and even our mistakes do not have to determine our future. We may fall short, but we are not powerless to change. I love this idea because it applies to how we treat others just as much as how we treat ourselves.

How often do we define someone by their worst decision, hold onto an old hurt, or decide that a person will never change? And how often do we do the same thing to ourselves? We replay our mistakes, label ourselves, and believe that because we’ve always been a certain way, that’s just who we are.

What if we gave ourselves and others a little more room to grow?

That doesn’t mean excusing hurtful behavior, abandoning boundaries, or pretending the past didn’t happen. It means recognizing that people are more than their worst moments, and that we all have the opportunity to learn, make better choices, and become something different.

We cannot control someone else’s choices, but we can choose how we respond. We can offer grace without sacrificing our peace. We can forgive ourselves without giving up on becoming better.

Maybe that’s the reminder we all need: We are not stuck being who we’ve been. And neither is anyone else.

Timshel. You may.

What a beautiful reminder that the next chapter is still ours to write.

XX,

MG