Role Mother

I am in the kitchen. A gaggle of neighborhood kids gallop through on their way from or to wherever the next destination on our block may be. “Ma, we’re hungry, may we have snack?!” all three inquire; only one of them is actually ours. Three cheese sticks and ice pops later, they are on their … Continue reading →

Too Jewish

The accusation never comes from Christians, Mormons, Buddhists, Agnostics or even Atheists. Most definitely from Muslims as even one Jew is one Jew too many for them. What is the crime? It’s being too Jewish. This is never more intense than the weeks leading up to the Yamim Noraim. A Jewish neshama knows what it’s … Continue reading →

Spinning Yom Kippur

There aren’t any secrets on how to get the most out of the Yom Kippur prayers. You won’t find David Letterman’s Top Ten Tips for feeling plugged into the ‘season’ here. I am unqualified to instruct others the proper way to repent, to “Do Teshuvah Now!” I have my own strategy, which I’ve shared below. … Continue reading →

The Un-Brady Bunch

‘Till the one day when the lady met this fellow. And they knew that it was much more than a hunch, That this group must somehow form a family, That’s the way we all became the Brady bunch.’ Lyrics from “The Brady Bunch”, a 1960’s television show about a blended family, already in syndication by … Continue reading →

Just Do It

It’s a beautiful Thursday afternoon  in September.  Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, is around the corner. I’m sitting with our son at the breakfast table. We have an important task to fulfill. From August on, our mailbox is peppered with charity solicitations from Jewish organizations around the globe. Some well-known. Others are personal pleas … Continue reading →

Am I right?

We all have at least one in our life. More than one in social media and/or if you have an online presence. You know who I am talking about. A “Corrector”. Ever reply to an email or status update and make a fatal misspelling error or worse, misuse a word in a sentence? Did a … Continue reading →

You get what you need

I first heard the phrase “having one’s needs met” a couple of years ago. It came out of the mouth of a well meaning psychologist (aren’t they all?). Disclaimer: My feelings about psychologists and those who choose psychology as a college major are well-known to my friends. Mama always said those who become psychologists and/or … Continue reading →

Learning to honor

The black duffel bag is on my bed. “Okay! Come on now! Collect five pair of underwear and five pair of socks. Your Shabbos shoes aren’t in their normal place. Please find them! Here’s your new white shirt and l’kovod Shabbos yarmulke. Put them on top where they won’t get squished.” Kovod. Honor. This is … Continue reading →

Good on paper

There was no resemblance to the dating pool I’d experienced as a single in my twenties. This was adult swim; 40+ men previously married with or without children. I was looking for a gently used model with few dings on the outside and a solid interior. Enter my husband. Our perspectives on life were in … Continue reading →