This post has been brewing in my mind for many months. I want to talk about friends and what they mean to me. I do not think I have ever fully verbalized what it means to have a good friend.
I believe I have a few great friends. Some are old and some are new.
Lately, I have reconnected with a number of old friends. We may not have been in touch throughout the years, but we literally pick up right where we left off, with fun, memories and banter. We talk about our lives then and now. We share. We care. We may not be involved in each others' lives on a daily basis, but we stay in touch and catch up because we want to. When we do spend time together, it is almost as if time froze in its tracks and we are transported back to our young days, when we were carefree and spent every waking minute catching up with one another. My old friends remind me of the playdates we had when we were young, trips to the park or pizza shop, late-night phone calls, driving around town blasting our music, shopping, and eating when we were supposed to be studying for midterms.
I have other friends (old and new) who are more involved in my day to day life at present. We may carpool together, spend Shabbat, arrange playdates for our children, share a babysitter, and hang out with our families. My good friends offer friendship and support. They would literally drop everything to help with whatever I may need. They are the friends I call at 12am to babysit when I go into labor. They understand the dynamics of work, kids, and community. As friends, we recognize each others' strengths and weaknesses and are able to offer guidance and love. We grow together and become better individuals through our interactions. We laugh together and sometimes cry too.
I am proud to say I have very solid friendships and strong relationships. I appreciate my good friends and I feel that I reciprocate. I try my hardest to go out of my way to help my friends.
I think it is truly remarkable when friends become like family.
Thank you to my dear friends - you know who you are - for enhancing my life.
Please tell me about your friendships in the comments!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
A Great Pesach Read: "Let my RV Go!"
We have all taken that journey. We know it well. We have looked inside to discover who we are and who we want to be. How will we adjust to our (new) reality?
Recently, I finished reading Let my RV Go by Nicole Nathan, an inspirational tale of Pauline Berkovitz, a Jewish woman who has chosen to live her life as an Orthodox Jew, leaving many of her experiences behind. She struggles to fit in to the community, a society that expects parents and children to act, dress, and speak a certain way. Pauline and her husband Sam have travelled the world, but this Pesach (Passover), they take the trip of a lifetime. Their trip (yes, in an RV) leads Pauline and company on a mysterious journey of self acceptance and discovery. Along the way, she meets and influences others, transforming from student to teacher.
I appreciated many aspects of the book and was pleasantly surprised by how I connected to the protagonist. Here are some points that stood out for me:
1. Pauline and her husband Sam are not in the same spot spiritually, and that is okay. Their marriage is strong even though they differ in how they relate to their religious observance and their children. They complement one another and work together.
2. "Sam is still in a holy space, whereas I am the keeper of the mundane." As a Jewish mom, I can totally relate to that. I have to keep the laws of Kosher in the home, wipe the kids' noses, plan our holiday and Shabbos meals, carpool, and provide spiritual and emotional guidance to my children. All in a day's work! It is an important job even if we don't feel moved by it. We must realize we have the tools to help our children grow in an environment we feel is best for them. We should strive to appreciate the opportunity.
3. The author uses humor to describe life with young children. "I flushed? Am I insane? I wish I could take that flush back more than anything else." Self explanatory. We have all been there, done that. I am that mom.
4. The Berkovitzes do not fit into a box. They are not quite like anyone else they know (aside from the one couple they befriend, Mike and Julia who also found Judaism later in life). They do not squash their personalities and lose their identities as they turn to Orthodox Judaism. Instead, they embrace their past and use their experiences to be more caring, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent people. "I may not be able to trace my lineage to a scholarly rabbi in Vilna but I have plodded across mountains and jungles to come back to my roots." With this ability, Pauline and Sam are able to connect to, teach, and inspire others.
5. Without giving away too much of the plot line, Pesach is a time to rejoice in our freedom as a Jewish nation, to celebrate life, revel in our personal freedom, and appreciate the ability to serve our Creator. We are individuals and we need to connect to G-d in a way that hits a personal nerve and touches us. Pauline exemplifies this concept. "Us... BT's [ed. note: baal t'shuvahs, or people who have returned to G-d and Jewish practice] should be happy to bring parts of ourselves into the rich tapestry of Judaism; and if this requires adding an extra splash of color to some of the more staid traditions, it can only be enriching." People should not lose their personalities just because they are religious. Our community should strive to be more accepting and open, to understand where people come from and that each person has his or her own personal journey.
Find freedom. Take your journey. Travel and laugh with Pauline.
To purchase/download the book, click here.
I hope you enjoy!
Recently, I finished reading Let my RV Go by Nicole Nathan, an inspirational tale of Pauline Berkovitz, a Jewish woman who has chosen to live her life as an Orthodox Jew, leaving many of her experiences behind. She struggles to fit in to the community, a society that expects parents and children to act, dress, and speak a certain way. Pauline and her husband Sam have travelled the world, but this Pesach (Passover), they take the trip of a lifetime. Their trip (yes, in an RV) leads Pauline and company on a mysterious journey of self acceptance and discovery. Along the way, she meets and influences others, transforming from student to teacher.
I appreciated many aspects of the book and was pleasantly surprised by how I connected to the protagonist. Here are some points that stood out for me:
1. Pauline and her husband Sam are not in the same spot spiritually, and that is okay. Their marriage is strong even though they differ in how they relate to their religious observance and their children. They complement one another and work together.
2. "Sam is still in a holy space, whereas I am the keeper of the mundane." As a Jewish mom, I can totally relate to that. I have to keep the laws of Kosher in the home, wipe the kids' noses, plan our holiday and Shabbos meals, carpool, and provide spiritual and emotional guidance to my children. All in a day's work! It is an important job even if we don't feel moved by it. We must realize we have the tools to help our children grow in an environment we feel is best for them. We should strive to appreciate the opportunity.
3. The author uses humor to describe life with young children. "I flushed? Am I insane? I wish I could take that flush back more than anything else." Self explanatory. We have all been there, done that. I am that mom.
4. The Berkovitzes do not fit into a box. They are not quite like anyone else they know (aside from the one couple they befriend, Mike and Julia who also found Judaism later in life). They do not squash their personalities and lose their identities as they turn to Orthodox Judaism. Instead, they embrace their past and use their experiences to be more caring, thoughtful, and emotionally intelligent people. "I may not be able to trace my lineage to a scholarly rabbi in Vilna but I have plodded across mountains and jungles to come back to my roots." With this ability, Pauline and Sam are able to connect to, teach, and inspire others.
5. Without giving away too much of the plot line, Pesach is a time to rejoice in our freedom as a Jewish nation, to celebrate life, revel in our personal freedom, and appreciate the ability to serve our Creator. We are individuals and we need to connect to G-d in a way that hits a personal nerve and touches us. Pauline exemplifies this concept. "Us... BT's [ed. note: baal t'shuvahs, or people who have returned to G-d and Jewish practice] should be happy to bring parts of ourselves into the rich tapestry of Judaism; and if this requires adding an extra splash of color to some of the more staid traditions, it can only be enriching." People should not lose their personalities just because they are religious. Our community should strive to be more accepting and open, to understand where people come from and that each person has his or her own personal journey.
Find freedom. Take your journey. Travel and laugh with Pauline.
To purchase/download the book, click here.
I hope you enjoy!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
New shoes!
Siri got her first pair of shoes today. Here she is trying them on for the first time:
Watch "Chaya Sarah's first pair of shoes" on YouTube
Enjoy!
Watch "Chaya Sarah's first pair of shoes" on YouTube
Enjoy!
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