In what year was New York City first comprised of the present five boroughs?
Four presidents of the US died, but were not assassinated, while in office. Who were they?
What European country uses its Latin name, Helvetia, on its stamps?
From which animal do we get catgut?
Of Heimlich and Heinlein, the one to call if you swallow a fishbone.
What is the northernmost city of the United States?
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
On Those Lessons to be Learned
In a news article yesterday I came across the following statement: "Pop culture is united in the views presented to our young people." Well, yes. And no. Are there some themes that seem to be prevalent? Of course, not the least being the one that says that it doesn't matter what you do and what you try because the world is going to hell in a hand basket so you might as well have a good time now. And that is balanced out by the theme that says you can have anything you want if you just go out and look for it, strive for it, work for it. Far from being so united, it seems to me that pop culture is sending some contradictory messages.
But let's be fair; it's not only today's pop culture that seems to be full of contradictions. The pop culture that was around when I was a child, teen and young adult also sent what seemed to be contradictory messages.
Popular when I was a child was the song "Que sera, sera," sung by Doris Day. The lyrics were as follows:
When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
The message of the song seems to be that nothing we are going to do today is going to have any effect on the future because whatever will be, will be, and there is nothing we can do to change that, so enjoy today and let tomorrow take care of itself.
Existing side by side with that song was the popular children's fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper."
Æsop. (Sixth century B.C.) Fables.The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
IN a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”
“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”
“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
“IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY.”
The grasshopper, clearly a "que sera, sera" kind of creature, saw no necessity to prepare for the future; things were fine in the summer, so why bother with thinking about the winter.
Well, today, literally and figuratively, winter has arrived and the future has become the present. There are an awful lot of people who bought into the idea that the future will take care of itself; it's today, not tomorrow, that is important. And like the grasshopper, they find themselves without any morsels of corn or grain put away.
Sorry Doris, but whether or not we can clearly see what is in the future doesn't mean that we shouldn't be preparing for it. We need to be less like the grasshopper and more like the ants. The financial crunch that many people find themselves in wasn't brought on solely by a capricious future; some of it was brought on through "grasshoppering" in the summer instead of putting corn away for winter. Or as that saying, also popular when I was young, advised: "Make hay while the sun shines."
It would be nice to think that people, seeing what is going on today, will take to heart the lesson of "some for now, some for later." I live in hope that they will do so. But either way, que sera, sera.
But let's be fair; it's not only today's pop culture that seems to be full of contradictions. The pop culture that was around when I was a child, teen and young adult also sent what seemed to be contradictory messages.
Popular when I was a child was the song "Que sera, sera," sung by Doris Day. The lyrics were as follows:
When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.
Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.
The message of the song seems to be that nothing we are going to do today is going to have any effect on the future because whatever will be, will be, and there is nothing we can do to change that, so enjoy today and let tomorrow take care of itself.
Existing side by side with that song was the popular children's fable "The Ant and the Grasshopper."
Æsop. (Sixth century B.C.) Fables.The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
IN a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”
“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”
“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:
“IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY.”
The grasshopper, clearly a "que sera, sera" kind of creature, saw no necessity to prepare for the future; things were fine in the summer, so why bother with thinking about the winter.
Well, today, literally and figuratively, winter has arrived and the future has become the present. There are an awful lot of people who bought into the idea that the future will take care of itself; it's today, not tomorrow, that is important. And like the grasshopper, they find themselves without any morsels of corn or grain put away.
Sorry Doris, but whether or not we can clearly see what is in the future doesn't mean that we shouldn't be preparing for it. We need to be less like the grasshopper and more like the ants. The financial crunch that many people find themselves in wasn't brought on solely by a capricious future; some of it was brought on through "grasshoppering" in the summer instead of putting corn away for winter. Or as that saying, also popular when I was young, advised: "Make hay while the sun shines."
It would be nice to think that people, seeing what is going on today, will take to heart the lesson of "some for now, some for later." I live in hope that they will do so. But either way, que sera, sera.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
What's In a Name?
The events in Mumbai are still repeating themselves in my head. One thing that bothered me then and is still bothering me now is the way that the murders were reported--yes, murders, not killings. As an English instructor I am very sensitive to the nuances of words. I teach about denotation and connotation. For me, there is a strong connotative difference between the word "kill" and the word "murder," and what took place in Mumbai was not killing but murder. I couldn't quite get the posting i wanted framed in my head, and then someone sent me the following. I believe it says it all.
http://www.alfassa.com/blog/2008/12/the-chabad-rabbi-in-india-was.html
The Chabad Rabbi in India was not 'Killed'
Media suppresses word 'murder' and overlooks 'torture' by Islamic terrorists
By Shelomo Alfassa
NEW YORK (December 1, 2008) - On Thanksgiving Day 2008, gunshots rang out startling the family of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and others inside the Chabad center in Mumbai, India. A maid at the Chabad center thought it was firecrackers--then an Islamic gunman came up the stairs. Explosions and gunshots rattled the building and continued through the night. At the same time the Chabad center is attacked, Islamic terrorists were attacking a police station and a few minutes later they opened fire at a hospital. They also opened fire in restaurants and at hotels, all together, at over 10 locations, the Islamic terrorists murdered over 190 people.
The Chabad center maid told the media that the gunmen destroyed the elevator, dining room and "everything" else. The rabbi ran to the telephone to call the Israeli Consulate. He got them on the line, told them there were men with guns in the house, but in the middle of the conversation, the line went dead after the rabbi said, "something's wrong" and the rabbi's wife was heard screaming "SEND HELP IMMEDIATLY."
The rabbi was grabbed by the Muslim terrorists, held down and had a belt secured around his legs to prevent him from walking. Several other Jews in the center had their hands and feet bound with telephone cords or nylon rope. The Indian Express reported that, Rabbi Holtzberg, his wife Rivka and their three friends died in a "brutal manner..." The paper horrifically reported that there was "brutality unleashed on the Holtzberg." The paper reported that police photos inside the Chabad center spoke, "volumes of the nightmare the family and their friends must have gone through before they died." The Rabbi's body was found in a room on the second floor, with his legs under the mezuzah, stretching into the hall where his wife's body was found. Rivka's body was found near the legs of Rabbi Holtzberg, the floor was covered red in blood. The rabbi's 2-year-old son Moshe was found drenched in blood, crying in the silence, beside his parents who lay dead on the floor. The dead bodies of the murdered Jews were then booby-trapped with live hand grenades and other explosives. Indian security forces indicated the Jewish women were murdered first, as the Jewish men were first tortured before being murdered.
In the United States, where the news media like to cover up all things which may make Muslims look bad, they never mentioned that the Israelis were mutilated beyond belief. In the Digital Journal news, it was also reported that the victims of the terrorist attacks had been tortured. In the words of one doctor, "It was shocking and disturbing." A doctor who conducted the post-mortems on the victims added: "Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again."
When someone is "killed" they may have been hit by a car, drowned at sea or struck by lightning. In contrast, when someone is "murdered," this speaks of a victim who was targeted with premeditated malice. It is someone who inhumanly had their life taken from them, it is someone who was a victim of severe mutilation, targeted brutality, a person who had their life taken by another person who sought them dead. This begs the question, why did the media avoid using the word "murdered" ?
The Wall Street Journal reported: "The dead also included a young New York rabbi and his wife..."
The Boston Globe reported: "the New York rabbi and his wife were among the foreigners killed..."
The International Herald Tribune reported: "Two of the victims, a rabbi and his wife..."
The Sun-Sentinel reported: "killed were Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and his wife, Rivkah, 28, who died in the attack..."
The Associated Press reported: "The bodies of New York Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, were found at the Jewish center..."
National Public Radio reported: "Among the dead are Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka..."
The New York Times reported: "six of the hostages were killed, including the Brooklyn couple who operated the center..."
The Los Angeles Times reported: "the Chabad Lubavitch members who were killed by militants"
The stupidity of the Western media is blatant. What is not being made clear in prominent Western media is that this was a meticulously planned and well-organized attack. What is the motivation of journalists in trying to downplay these heinous atrocities? Do they wish to express some sympathy for these murderers? The mainstream media remains a giant bureaucracy with no feeling, soul, or intelligence. They make it too easy for blatant evil to be excused or explained away.
The Muslim murderers had a well coordinated well thought out plan. They had been in the country for months, obtained jobs in the area, stockpiled food for the siege, and stockpiled ammunition enough to kill thousands. Some of the Muslim murderers had even rented rooms in the Chabad center! They utilized BlackBerry email devices to stay in touch with each other and outsiders, to exchange intelligence information in different locations during the attacks. An Indian Marine commando told the media that it was obvious the terrorists were well trained. The Marine said the attackers were "very determined and remorseless." The Times of India reported that the sole surviving murderer told Indian police that the terrorists were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis at Chabad House in order to avenge "atrocities committed against the Palestinians."
The Chabad rabbi and his wife (as well as the other 190+ victims) were not killed, they were murdered, there is a difference, and one that needs to be differentiated at every opportunity.
http://www.alfassa.com/blog/2008/12/the-chabad-rabbi-in-india-was.html
The Chabad Rabbi in India was not 'Killed'
Media suppresses word 'murder' and overlooks 'torture' by Islamic terrorists
By Shelomo Alfassa
NEW YORK (December 1, 2008) - On Thanksgiving Day 2008, gunshots rang out startling the family of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and others inside the Chabad center in Mumbai, India. A maid at the Chabad center thought it was firecrackers--then an Islamic gunman came up the stairs. Explosions and gunshots rattled the building and continued through the night. At the same time the Chabad center is attacked, Islamic terrorists were attacking a police station and a few minutes later they opened fire at a hospital. They also opened fire in restaurants and at hotels, all together, at over 10 locations, the Islamic terrorists murdered over 190 people.
The Chabad center maid told the media that the gunmen destroyed the elevator, dining room and "everything" else. The rabbi ran to the telephone to call the Israeli Consulate. He got them on the line, told them there were men with guns in the house, but in the middle of the conversation, the line went dead after the rabbi said, "something's wrong" and the rabbi's wife was heard screaming "SEND HELP IMMEDIATLY."
The rabbi was grabbed by the Muslim terrorists, held down and had a belt secured around his legs to prevent him from walking. Several other Jews in the center had their hands and feet bound with telephone cords or nylon rope. The Indian Express reported that, Rabbi Holtzberg, his wife Rivka and their three friends died in a "brutal manner..." The paper horrifically reported that there was "brutality unleashed on the Holtzberg." The paper reported that police photos inside the Chabad center spoke, "volumes of the nightmare the family and their friends must have gone through before they died." The Rabbi's body was found in a room on the second floor, with his legs under the mezuzah, stretching into the hall where his wife's body was found. Rivka's body was found near the legs of Rabbi Holtzberg, the floor was covered red in blood. The rabbi's 2-year-old son Moshe was found drenched in blood, crying in the silence, beside his parents who lay dead on the floor. The dead bodies of the murdered Jews were then booby-trapped with live hand grenades and other explosives. Indian security forces indicated the Jewish women were murdered first, as the Jewish men were first tortured before being murdered.
In the United States, where the news media like to cover up all things which may make Muslims look bad, they never mentioned that the Israelis were mutilated beyond belief. In the Digital Journal news, it was also reported that the victims of the terrorist attacks had been tortured. In the words of one doctor, "It was shocking and disturbing." A doctor who conducted the post-mortems on the victims added: "Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again."
When someone is "killed" they may have been hit by a car, drowned at sea or struck by lightning. In contrast, when someone is "murdered," this speaks of a victim who was targeted with premeditated malice. It is someone who inhumanly had their life taken from them, it is someone who was a victim of severe mutilation, targeted brutality, a person who had their life taken by another person who sought them dead. This begs the question, why did the media avoid using the word "murdered" ?
The Wall Street Journal reported: "The dead also included a young New York rabbi and his wife..."
The Boston Globe reported: "the New York rabbi and his wife were among the foreigners killed..."
The International Herald Tribune reported: "Two of the victims, a rabbi and his wife..."
The Sun-Sentinel reported: "killed were Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and his wife, Rivkah, 28, who died in the attack..."
The Associated Press reported: "The bodies of New York Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, were found at the Jewish center..."
National Public Radio reported: "Among the dead are Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka..."
The New York Times reported: "six of the hostages were killed, including the Brooklyn couple who operated the center..."
The Los Angeles Times reported: "the Chabad Lubavitch members who were killed by militants"
The stupidity of the Western media is blatant. What is not being made clear in prominent Western media is that this was a meticulously planned and well-organized attack. What is the motivation of journalists in trying to downplay these heinous atrocities? Do they wish to express some sympathy for these murderers? The mainstream media remains a giant bureaucracy with no feeling, soul, or intelligence. They make it too easy for blatant evil to be excused or explained away.
The Muslim murderers had a well coordinated well thought out plan. They had been in the country for months, obtained jobs in the area, stockpiled food for the siege, and stockpiled ammunition enough to kill thousands. Some of the Muslim murderers had even rented rooms in the Chabad center! They utilized BlackBerry email devices to stay in touch with each other and outsiders, to exchange intelligence information in different locations during the attacks. An Indian Marine commando told the media that it was obvious the terrorists were well trained. The Marine said the attackers were "very determined and remorseless." The Times of India reported that the sole surviving murderer told Indian police that the terrorists were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis at Chabad House in order to avenge "atrocities committed against the Palestinians."
The Chabad rabbi and his wife (as well as the other 190+ victims) were not killed, they were murdered, there is a difference, and one that needs to be differentiated at every opportunity.
Questions of the Day--#6
Which contains more protein—8 ounces of broccoli or 8 ounces of spaghetti?
Celluloid was invented because of a shortage of ivory for use in making what?
What is the oldest synagogue in the US in continuous usage?
Halley’s Comet was seen most recently in 1985-1986. When is it expected to return?
What are the five busiest passenger airports in the United States?
How much more does a first class stamp cost today than it did in 1972?
Celluloid was invented because of a shortage of ivory for use in making what?
What is the oldest synagogue in the US in continuous usage?
Halley’s Comet was seen most recently in 1985-1986. When is it expected to return?
What are the five busiest passenger airports in the United States?
How much more does a first class stamp cost today than it did in 1972?
Monday, December 8, 2008
Ready, get set, go!
What does it mean when we say someone is ready for marriage? Yes, I'm being serious. When I apply "ready" to other activities, I have specific guidelines that tell me what "ready" means. The guidelines for readiness for marriage are far more nebulous.
I have a cake in the oven. How can I tell when it's ready? First, the recipe tells me at what temperature and for how long to bake the cake. But since every oven is not identical and there may be temperature variations which can cause baking time variations, the recipe goes further. It tells me that the cake is ready when the top is golden brown, when the top is firm to the touch and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry and clean. And, of course, different cakes have different recipes and different indications of readiness.
In other cases where I apply "ready"--taking a test, leaving on a vacation etc.--I have a checklist of preparations that must all be completed before I can say I am ready.
So I ask in all seriousness, how do we know when someone is ready for marriage? What toothpick test is there for marriage readiness? What preparations must be completed before one is ready for marriage? How long do singles have to "bake" before they are ready?
It seems that some parts of frum Klal have settled on a "one size fits all" approach to marriage readiness. They've developed a general recipe for baking all cakes. They've settled on one temperature and one baking time and have decreed that the "readiness" factor for every variety of cake. So just maybe a chocolate cake with 1/2 cup of cocoa in it might bake well under their recipe, but what do you do when you have bananas or apples and no cocoa? What if you've got less sugar but more flour available? Doesn't seem to matter--all cakes must come out of the oven at the same time. So some cakes, which might have been perfectly edible, delectable even, had they been left to bake longer or at a different temperature, come out in varying stages of readiness. Some look fine but leave a bad taste in the mouth when sampled. Some are raw or doughy. Some are dry and unpalatable. Some are only half baked. Some are missing ingredients or have too much of one ingredient and not enough of another. Some of those cakes leave the eater feeling slightly queasy. Some cause outright gastric distress.
So all single girls are ready to get married when they are 18 or 19? And all single boys when they are 20 or 21? Not likely. Is it the ability to beget a child or carry a child that makes you ready for marriage? If that were so we could save ourselves a bundle on bas and bar mitzvahs; we'd be putting up chupahs instead for 12 and 13 year olds. Is it having an interest in the opposite sex that signals readiness? See the previous comment on bas and bar mitzvahs. Is it being fiscally responsible that signals readiness for marriage? Not all by itself. Is it that hard- to-pin-down maturity that signals readiness? Is it wanting to get married that itself signals readiness to do so?
So, before we decree, as many have done, that age equals readiness for marriage, maybe we need to look at that recipe and ask ourselves what really needs to be there for someone to be declared ready for marriage.
I have a cake in the oven. How can I tell when it's ready? First, the recipe tells me at what temperature and for how long to bake the cake. But since every oven is not identical and there may be temperature variations which can cause baking time variations, the recipe goes further. It tells me that the cake is ready when the top is golden brown, when the top is firm to the touch and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry and clean. And, of course, different cakes have different recipes and different indications of readiness.
In other cases where I apply "ready"--taking a test, leaving on a vacation etc.--I have a checklist of preparations that must all be completed before I can say I am ready.
So I ask in all seriousness, how do we know when someone is ready for marriage? What toothpick test is there for marriage readiness? What preparations must be completed before one is ready for marriage? How long do singles have to "bake" before they are ready?
It seems that some parts of frum Klal have settled on a "one size fits all" approach to marriage readiness. They've developed a general recipe for baking all cakes. They've settled on one temperature and one baking time and have decreed that the "readiness" factor for every variety of cake. So just maybe a chocolate cake with 1/2 cup of cocoa in it might bake well under their recipe, but what do you do when you have bananas or apples and no cocoa? What if you've got less sugar but more flour available? Doesn't seem to matter--all cakes must come out of the oven at the same time. So some cakes, which might have been perfectly edible, delectable even, had they been left to bake longer or at a different temperature, come out in varying stages of readiness. Some look fine but leave a bad taste in the mouth when sampled. Some are raw or doughy. Some are dry and unpalatable. Some are only half baked. Some are missing ingredients or have too much of one ingredient and not enough of another. Some of those cakes leave the eater feeling slightly queasy. Some cause outright gastric distress.
So all single girls are ready to get married when they are 18 or 19? And all single boys when they are 20 or 21? Not likely. Is it the ability to beget a child or carry a child that makes you ready for marriage? If that were so we could save ourselves a bundle on bas and bar mitzvahs; we'd be putting up chupahs instead for 12 and 13 year olds. Is it having an interest in the opposite sex that signals readiness? See the previous comment on bas and bar mitzvahs. Is it being fiscally responsible that signals readiness for marriage? Not all by itself. Is it that hard- to-pin-down maturity that signals readiness? Is it wanting to get married that itself signals readiness to do so?
So, before we decree, as many have done, that age equals readiness for marriage, maybe we need to look at that recipe and ask ourselves what really needs to be there for someone to be declared ready for marriage.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Haveil Havalim #194
The 194th Haveil Havalim is now live at
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2008/12/hh-194-start-countdown-now.html
http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2008/12/hh-194-start-countdown-now.html
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Life is What You Make of It
The last six weeks have not been easy ones in our family. However, now that my mother is so much better than she was when we started out, our moods are lightening somewhat. Still, daily visits to a nursing facility have a way of turning a day somber. But yesterday was a real exception.
My uncle is a permanent resident of the facility where my mom is in temporary residence, and yesterday, Friday, was, B"H, his 90th birthday. My cousin decided she would bring in a cake and we would have a little private celebration in one of the lounges. Frankly, everyone who heard about this expressed sadness that such a milestone would be celebrated, if that was the right word, in such a place. No one was particularly upbeat.
And then party time arrived. Three out of four of my uncle's kids were there, my mom and I were there and a super close friend originally from Seattle of many year's standing also came. My cousins brought coffee and cake and candies and flowers and our friend brought birthday balloons. And we stood up and sang Happy Birthday with real feeling, recognizing that making it to 90 deserved a joyful offering. And then the reminiscences started flowing faster and faster. And my mother made a speech and gave a brocha to my uncle that he should celebrate many more birthdays and she should be there to speak at them, ad mayoh v'esrim. And we were all laughing and joking and happy to be in each other's company. And we were making memories together to take into the future. And far from being a depressing occasion, everyone there came away with the feeling that they had been privileged to attend this party.
We got any extra present during the party. A third grade from Bais Rivka of Crown Heights was on an all-day visit to the facility and were told about my uncle's birthday. They came in and sang a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday and songs for Shabbos and gave my uncle all kinds of handmade notes with birthday wishes. They brought him balloons, but more importantly, they brought him a reminder of why we keep on living.
I don't think the car really needed any gas to get me home; it could have run on the fumes of my euphoria. My mom always likes to remind us kids that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. We followed her advice to a tee yesterday and we were all enriched by doing so. So yes, life is what you make of it. And yesterday we remembered to make life beautiful, to make it joyous, to inject hope instead of sadness. Yesterday added pleasure to today. And yes, to quote the Beattles, "Yesterday, all our troubles seemed so far away...."
My uncle is a permanent resident of the facility where my mom is in temporary residence, and yesterday, Friday, was, B"H, his 90th birthday. My cousin decided she would bring in a cake and we would have a little private celebration in one of the lounges. Frankly, everyone who heard about this expressed sadness that such a milestone would be celebrated, if that was the right word, in such a place. No one was particularly upbeat.
And then party time arrived. Three out of four of my uncle's kids were there, my mom and I were there and a super close friend originally from Seattle of many year's standing also came. My cousins brought coffee and cake and candies and flowers and our friend brought birthday balloons. And we stood up and sang Happy Birthday with real feeling, recognizing that making it to 90 deserved a joyful offering. And then the reminiscences started flowing faster and faster. And my mother made a speech and gave a brocha to my uncle that he should celebrate many more birthdays and she should be there to speak at them, ad mayoh v'esrim. And we were all laughing and joking and happy to be in each other's company. And we were making memories together to take into the future. And far from being a depressing occasion, everyone there came away with the feeling that they had been privileged to attend this party.
We got any extra present during the party. A third grade from Bais Rivka of Crown Heights was on an all-day visit to the facility and were told about my uncle's birthday. They came in and sang a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday and songs for Shabbos and gave my uncle all kinds of handmade notes with birthday wishes. They brought him balloons, but more importantly, they brought him a reminder of why we keep on living.
I don't think the car really needed any gas to get me home; it could have run on the fumes of my euphoria. My mom always likes to remind us kids that when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. We followed her advice to a tee yesterday and we were all enriched by doing so. So yes, life is what you make of it. And yesterday we remembered to make life beautiful, to make it joyous, to inject hope instead of sadness. Yesterday added pleasure to today. And yes, to quote the Beattles, "Yesterday, all our troubles seemed so far away...."
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