Stolen Moments, Lives, Sunshine, Carpets

Wow  – that has to be a unique title. In the history of mankind, I have to win points for that one. Too tired after only 4.5 hours of sleep (or less) to make more coherent comments, but I feel like writing before I start my day. I’m giving myself 9 minutes of writing – let’s see if I get through all four.

Stolen Moments – I’m stealing a few now and I stole a few more this morning. Elie’s on his way south – hopefully even most of the way by now. He dropped me off a while ago and I wanted to save him those few extra minutes driving into the hi-tech park in Jerusalem where our offices are located. He dropped me at the top of the hill and I began to walk down. The sun is shining but not too hot. I have a Vitamin D deficiency – a major accomplishment in a land filled with sunshine, but there you go. I’m taking pills (when I remember) and I didn’t yesterday, today…never mind. The best way is the sun, and the bench looked so inviting. I sat down and closed my eyes for a few minutes. Sunglasses are wonderful! I wish I could remember to do this every day or at least sometimes. The world feels so much better when you take those few minutes. Amazingly enough, like most things in life, apparently, you have to train yourself to steal moments. And so, after only a few, I was already thinking about the proposal for documentation services I was supposed to send out last evening and the meeting later today and the funeral. And so, after less time than I had hoped, my mind was telling my body to move. Steal moments – they are more precious for having stolen them. You can plan time off, and you should. You can plan time in the sun, and you must. But those stolen moments are sometimes more precious than everything because it is in those moments when you stop the world and change from “I need” to “I deserve.”

Lives – Well, this is a hard one. I’m going to a funeral today. A funeral of a young man that I’m not sure if I ever met. He lived close by; I’m friendly with his parents. They are wonderful people – kind, gentle, just good people. His mother always smiles and takes a moment to greet me. Recently when I was in the synagogue with my daughter and my new grandson, she came over to see, to give me that moment to feel like the luckiest person in the world. Her son died. He drowned off the coast of Israel. One person said he died a hero, saving the life of a child. I don’t know the details. I know only the tremendous sense of loss and the feeling of panic that I get when I am reminded how quickly life can change.

Sunshine – I guess I covered this in the first one. I am blessed to live in a land of sunshine. I’m going to try to remember this more often.

Carpets – Oh well, I didn’t think I’d get through everything so I’ll try to remember to write about carpets later. For  now…

May God bless the memory of Yonatan ben Aryeh Leib.

May God send comfort to his mother. And his father. And all his family.

May God send comfort to his many friends, those who knew him and cared so much about him – and those of us who didn’t really know him and now are saddened to have missed this shining light.

And may we all remember to steal moments when we can, to sit in the sun, and carpets…well, next time.

3 Comments

  1. That’s what comments are for, Nadina!

    Paula, you paint such a wonderful picture with your words. Some day I want to visit your land. You make it sound so enticing… some day.

  2. Thanks, Nadine – I have to tell you – comments are as precious (okay, more so) than even the Like button. So thanks.

    Prophet Joe- make some day soon – I’ll meet you at the airport and take great joy in showing you my land! Just tell me when!

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