Today is Yom Kippur, the most sacred day of the year in the Jewish religion. It’s our “Day of Atonement”, meaning that we are apologizing for the sins of the past year and seeking forgiveness. A big part of Yom Kippur is saying “I’m sorry”. Saying those two words is very easy for me. Although I have perfectionist tendencies (ya think?), I have absolutely no problem admitting that I have made a mistake. In fact, usually when I discover I’ve made an error I completely overcompensate in the apology department because I feel so terrible about it. (That’s an issue for another day. Or for a therapist.) I consider myself…
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On Longing To Reconnect
We joined our temple back in 1996, when D was nearly four and ready for preschool. J was one. Jumping right into the Jewish community here, our family joined five other families (all with a kid in the temple preschool program) to form a havurah, and we celebrated most of the Jewish holidays together for years. Back in the day, I served for a couple of years on the Early Learning Committee, I was a substitute preschool teacher, and I taught Sunday School at the same time. I served on the Membership Committee for a while, and was a part of the committee that found and recommended our current rabbi.…
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On Knowing When To Make The Leap
I feel the need to start this post with a disclaimer: I usually don’t bring up religious stuff here unless it’s of the general variety. In relaying this particular story–which has an element of religion included–I want you to know that I am not trying to push my religion on anybody, and hope that you will just find it interesting. Years ago, I was selling health club memberships full time. I had been an employee there for a few years and worked part-time in different departments before landing in Membership. My full-time status came as a result of Jim having been let go from his job in the economic turmoil…
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Merry Christmas To (Most Of) You!
Here we are…Christmas weekend 2011! I want to wish all of you who celebrate it a very, very Merry Christmas. I hope you enjoy it to the max whether you’re spending it with family, visiting friends, or hanging out solo in your robe and fuzzy slippers on the couch, watching movies like “Elf” and “A Christmas Story”. As usual, you know what MY family will be doing… Want to make this a long-term commitment? Please subscribe to my feed by clicking here.
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Festival of Lights
In keeping with how things have been going here at my house for the last I-don’t-know-how-long, we did not get any Hanukkah decorations up before the holiday officially began at sundown last night. It wasn’t for lack of trying: We (and by “we”, I mean Jim) dragged the two massive, storage-locker-sized Rubbermaid containers of Hanukkah decorations (mostly menorahs) up to the family room from the crawlspace about a week ago. They have been sitting there ever since, untouched and attracting piles of random stuff on top much like a treadmill ends up with clothing draped all over it. Around 5:00 p.m. yesterday (the sun was DOWN), I opened up the…