Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sunlight Stumbled Across

Today was erev -erev Pesach and I'm not sure what to say. It's a merit to be able to keep others company and assist during hard times. Would we ask for such situations? No. And yet some of the most meaningful times I've had in life have been during the hard times of friends and family. Today was literally one of those days, which is a sad thing but not a bad thing and in some ways a good thing - all at once.

The school year's not done, in some ways it's not even a break because there are recommendations to write and preparation to do. And yet it is a time to pause and reflect on the school year so far.

I'm in a pensive mood. it'll pass. It's been about fifteen years. But it will pass.

Recently I placed a roll on a table near someone's book and they freaked because the roll was chameitz. What's this all about? Do you know what I'd have to have done to his book with my roll to cause him a real Pesach problem?

Have you ever been in a situation and you notice that a man and woman are attracted to each other? But they're not mentioning it. No one is. Awkward.

Do you think Ya'akov was sneaky? I think him of Ya'akov often. I think he was a shy, straight and narrow kind of guy who learned that he had to stand up for himself in this world as no-one else would or could.

I think that it this time of year it's important to take care of our self. Family and community are so stressed (tartei mashmah) that we need to remember that we're individuals. My chidush is that this may be the deeper meaning the obligation for every single person to see his or her self as if he or she went out of Mitzrayim.

Beautiful. It's the best word I can think of to describe the following poem. I was recently blessed to "chance" upon this. Beautiful. To see it with the proper breaks - somehow it didn't paste right and my assistant is out - go to The Wondering Minstrels blog. There, Rachel Morarjee shares this piece and explains how she "stumbled across" it in a book given to her while she was (is?) living in Afghanistan.

The Word
 Down near the bottom  of the crossed-out list  of things you have to do today,   between "green thread"  and "broccoli" you find  that you have penciled "sunlight."   Resting on the page, the word  is as beautiful, it touches you  as if you had a friend   and sunlight were a present  he had sent you from some place distant  as this morning -- to cheer you up,   and to remind you that,  among your duties, pleasure  is a thing,   that also needs accomplishing  Do you remember?  that time and light are kinds   of love, and love  is no less practical  than a coffee grinder   or a safe spare tire?  Tomorrow you may be utterly  without a clue   but today you get a telegram,  from the heart in exile  proclaiming that the kingdom   still exists,  the king and queen alive,  still speaking to their children,   - to any one among them  who can find the time,  to sit out in the sun and listen. 
- Tony Hoagland

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