17 Weeks/Photographs and Memories

 Dear Friends,


As the calendar turns to August and I continue to travel to see family and friends, folks keep being so supportive and for this I continue to be grateful.  I am so blessed that you have not forgotten about me and continue to support me.

In commemorating Tisha B'Av tonight, a day set aside on the Jewish calendar to remember the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies in Jewish life, I wanted to share what I hope is an uplifting thought.

At a Jewish wedding the groom (and occasionally the bride and groom) break a glass at the conclusion of the ceremony.  This reminds them and us that there are moments of sadness in our lives, dreams that shatter, and that the Jewish people and all of us have endured challenges in our lives..  Immediately after the glass is broken, those in attendance shout mazel tov to remind us that there is hope and joy even in the midst of sorrow.

Last night I hosted a Shabbat dinner for almost 20 people who are involved in a special program of mentorship sponsored by the George Mason University Jewish organization (Hillel).  Sue loved to host folks for Shabbat dinner (even sometimes over my objections that I wanted a quiet night with just her).  I have pictures of her all over the house and spoke about the love which she included in the challah she would bake which was a special ingredient that made her challah and her life so delicious and sweet.  I realized last night that as I approach the 18th week (18 is symbolic of chai or life in Hebrew gematria where every Hebrew letter has a numerical value...you can look this up) next week after her passing, I need (and we all need) to focus on the "mazel tovs, the congratulations, the joys which we bring to our world.  If in fact we are taught that we are presented with blessings and curses and life and death, we need to choose life and blessing.

So, as you all continue to support me in the pursuit of life, I hope that we all will find and pursue the mazel tovs that can enhance  our lives and the lives of others.

As I was writing this, the following song by Jim Croce came on the satellite radio station to which I listen.  Please take a minute to listen to it and see the lyrics below (note the edit of Chanukah in lieu of Christmas:-).  I realize that in the caring and kindness of you all and the lives of our children and grandchildren, there are more than photographs and memories...Sue's kindness is all over the place including last night in our home.  Dreams didn't die (see the lyrics).. they continue to live whenever any of us is kind and loving.  (See below)

Finally, and you may think I have lost it, but some of you may remember that every morning Sue would come down the stairs and ask me "What can I getcha?"

I was at a White Sox vs. Cubs baseball game in Chicago and the beer vendor came by since the people around me wanted a beer.  (Neither Sue nor I like(d) beer and she never drank any beer to the best of my knowledge).  The beer vendor called out, "What can I getcha?" to the people to whom he was selling beer.  So, what do you think?  How often do beer vendors say that phrase?  Maybe she was showing up as a beer vendor as payback for all my bad jokes????

Shabbat Shalom/Sabbath Peace,

Rabbi Bruce Aft



Lyrics
Photographs and memoriesChanukah cards you sent to meAll that I have are theseTo remember you
Memories that come at nightTake me to another timeBack to a happier dayWhen I called you mine
But we sure had a good timeWhen we started way back whenMorning walks and bedroom talksOh how I loved you then
Summer skies and lullabiesNights we couldn't say good-byeAnd of all of the things that we knewNot a dream survived  
Photographs and memoriesAll the love you gave to meSomehow it just can't be trueThat's all I've left of you
But we sure had a good timeWhen we started way back whenMorning walks and bedroom talksOh how I loved you then
Source: LyricFind



 

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