Feelings "Are No Less Real For Having Passed Unsaid." - Dana Gioia

Chazal criticize one who's up in the middle of the night and turns his heart to batalah. Perhaps they don't mean bitul Torah in the most local sense, rather bitul from reflection, contemplation, awareness - thinking and planning positively for oneself and one's worlds. Achashveirosh did the right thing; when he found himself awake in the middle of the night he turned to his journal.

Lately I've been gratified to her that people have found this blog meaningful. A friend wrote, "I LOVE IT when I visit your blog! This week's pre-Shabbat thoughts were extraordinary. Todah, todah rabah." Someone else mentioned in passing that the list of 50 life lessons struck a chord (and by the way, Regina replied to my email). Of course the comments here count, you needn't hold back. But I can't rely on comments as the single true gage of how many people take in my words here.


On a similar note, every now and then I get a thank you in a phone call or a note for something I did for someone. The other day a mother called to thank me for helping facilitate her child's visit to Frisch for the day, another mother wrote that she can't thank me enough for the recommendation I wrote for her daughter, and then there are those students - G-d bless them - who say thanks every day at the end of class. And yet... The appreciation for my chosen life and life work can't be measured by written or spoken thank yous.

It's not about blog comments.

It's not about thank you notes.

It's not about what you get back.

It's about the book of life you wrote.