At Last, Adar is Coming!

Some people think it kind of strange that I can have an affinity for a particular month out of the calendar year. They understand liking warm weather better than cold. They understand perhaps liking summer more than winter. They admittedly look puzzled when I start getting euphoric that Adar is arriving. Why single out a month?

It's not just me--mine is an "Adar" family all the way around. My parents were married on Shushan Purim. All of us children were married in Adar; some of my husband's siblings and cousins also. Some grandchildren and nieces and nephews as well. Our first child was born in Adar. And yes, on the other end of the spectrum, there are major yahrzeits in the family in Adar as well. And then there is Purim.

I make an effort for each and every yom tov in the calendar. No yom tov gets less than effort and kavod. But Purim, ahh Purim. Purim "sings" to me, as Adar "sings" to me as well. And to be blessed with a year with two Adars? Marvelous. What's not to like about a yom tov where you wish people a "freilachen yom tov," the only time we do so in our calendar?

I'm not a kvetch the rest of the year, but I don't stop smiling during Adar. And I pretty much don't let anyone else rain on my parade during Adar either. So fair warning: I'm liable to be chipper and upbeat for the next few months. I'm liable to think the world is a wonderful place to reside in. I'm liable to see the glass as half full, not half empty. I'm quite likely to break into song with no provocation at all. Burdens get remarkably lighter during Adar. Problems don't disappear, but possibilities peep out that weren't visible before.

We're starting out Adar with a wedding in the family. But of course: Adar and simcha are a fine combination. A new couple that is just starting out and my husband and I celebrating 36 years of married bliss. What's not to like about Adar?