One Of Those Days
It's been many years running that I've been at the Israel day parade. Thought it seems redundant I feel compelled to state that in reverse: It's been many years since I've skipped the parade. And yet. And yet. And yet. And yet.
I try to be a good person. I also try to be a good soldier at work. There have been quite a few occasions where I've chaperoned kids to events outside of school time because I was asked to do so. Sometimes, as was the case a couple of years ago, I've put in extra hours surrounding the Israel Day Parade. On this day two or three years ago I sat with a float and the school's band members for hours before anyone else arrived because the float and band members had to be there early and someone had to be with them.
I like the day of the parade. I enjoy marching and being waved to by dear friends and family. I like seeing people I haven't seen for years. I like being part of a school community. I like meeting up with close family members afterwards for dinner.
Last year dad was in Israel and I visited mom for dinner after the parade. I feel her loss all the time, and yet there are days of note. Today is one of those days.
I try to be a good person. I also try to be a good soldier at work. There have been quite a few occasions where I've chaperoned kids to events outside of school time because I was asked to do so. Sometimes, as was the case a couple of years ago, I've put in extra hours surrounding the Israel Day Parade. On this day two or three years ago I sat with a float and the school's band members for hours before anyone else arrived because the float and band members had to be there early and someone had to be with them.
I like the day of the parade. I enjoy marching and being waved to by dear friends and family. I like seeing people I haven't seen for years. I like being part of a school community. I like meeting up with close family members afterwards for dinner.
Last year dad was in Israel and I visited mom for dinner after the parade. I feel her loss all the time, and yet there are days of note. Today is one of those days.
posted by rabbi neil fleischmann @ 10:01 AM
2 Comments:
My older son was at a shabbaton at a Camp Moshava in Pennsylavania this Shabbos; this morning they drove into NYC, davened at the Fifth Avenue shul, and will later participate in the parade -- a national contingent of Bnei Akiva/Mizrachi kids. It's very exciting for him.
I was at the parade nine years ago; it was quite invigorating to watch and to come together for such an event.
I hope you will not skip the parade; would you be doing it for avelut reasons, ie. coming together in a celebratory fashion?
Yes, there's an issue of simchat merei'ut - social happiness with friends - which according to some (Rabbi Solovechik, and my intuition) is more of a problem than a lot of the things people tend to avoid during aveilut that are not really happy things that contradict aveilus. I'm not the world's happiest man but the parade truly makes me happy on a lot of levels, and it seems right to not be part of it, just like I skipped being at my local Purim Chagiga, just like I avoid big meals even on Shabbos/Yom Tov, etc...
Thanks for reading and for the thoughtful, sincere comment - as always.
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