Slice of Life

Many people are hurting right now. Some lost loved ones. Some don’t know where their loved ones are, or even if they are alive. Some lost their health and their ability to function as they once did. Some lost their homes, at least temporarily. There are those whose worlds have been altered so much that their lives have become unrecognizable. It never ceases to amaze me how some people can use their suffering as a springboard to bring good into the world.

Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, is always intensely sad. This year, even more so. It feels like we are experiencing the climax of an extended Yom HaZikaron that began on October 7. The number of newly bereaved families is tragic and staggering. We live in a small country. Who doesn’t have some connection to a soldier killed in battle?

Lots going on. Work. Wedding plans. Pesach prep. Gaza. Lebanon. Iran. If not for my running between the office, supermarket, and bridal salon, I could fill my time worrying. But there’s no time for that now. Anxiety does seep in from time to time, but we move forward and trust in Hashem.

Nobody tells me what I must write about. The editors give me a free hand and allow me to write about any topic I choose. But honestly, I’ve had enough of the articles I’ve been writing. I’ve written a column about the war every week since October 7. As I sit down to write my 26^th column, I ask myself: How long can this go on? Who would have expected that we would still be fighting this war nearly six months later? If only I could write a different kind of article.

Mazal tov! Our daughter is engaged! Baruch Hashem! Everyone appreciates a simchah, especially now. The light of a simchah shines bright during these trying times. We feel very blessed. But making a simchah these days is far from simple.

Every Purim morning, after hearing the Megillah, we walk to our neighbor’s home where they set up their annual Mishloach Manos street café. Below the sign bearing the name of their “café,” while wearing their personalized aprons, they serve us (and all who pass by) a piece of cake and a hot cup of coffee made to order. Café “customers” can relax on the comfortable chairs the neighbors have placed on the street, as they socialize with their friends. This is how we start our Purim every year. We begin early, when things are quiet and serene, working our way up to the Mishloach Manos frenzy until it’s time to eat the s’udah.