(AI generated image via Designer)
April 14, 2024
Reincarnation: Try, Try Again
September 24, 2023
Checklist for Yom Kippur
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "A More Important Checklist for Yom Kippur."
(Credit Photo: Pixabay via https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-marking-check-on-opened-book-416322/)
Checklist for Yom Kippur
April 5, 2023
When Do You Honk
February 12, 2023
The Worst Curse
(Credit Photo: Kindel Media via https://www.pexels.com/photo/an-elderly-man-behind-the-glass-window-8172602/)
The Worst Curse
March 18, 2021
Appreciate Who You Have In Your Life
Thought this was a brilliant depiction of appreciating the invaluable people in our lives.
You don't know what you have until you don't have it anymore.
Often, people become lazy in their relationships or they stop appreciating what/who they have--we end up taking them for granted, not paying them our loving attention or worse mistreating them.
But one day, those people won't necessarily be there for us anymore.
That's when our eyes are opened to what we've done, but then it's too late to go back and undo the mistakes we made.
One good friend told me that marriage is not like Hollywood; it's not all loving all the time:
"There are good days and bad, but it's better to have 5 even really bad days a month with your partner than 30 bad days a month by yourself, alone."
Don't wait until it's too late to love and care for your spouse, children, grandchildren, etc.
Eventually, the clock runs out and regret won't bring anyone back.
(Source Photo: Millionaire Tutor via Facebook)
Appreciate Who You Have In Your Life
September 22, 2020
Much To Be Afraid Of
When this clown dude pops out, you'll sh*t your pants.
And who really wants to be more scared in this world anyway?
With Covid, Cancer, Corruption, Cyber Attacks, Identity Theft, Radicalism, Terrorism, War, Weapons of Mass Destruction, Loss and Death, Environmental issues, and the Economy don't we have enough to be afraid of already? ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Much To Be Afraid Of
August 12, 2020
Seeing Red!
Red is the color of an apple and a strawberry
Red is the color of blood and fire.
Red is when you unfortunately lose money or go broke.
Red is a can of Coke and the planet Mars.
Red means you got something wrong on the paper or exam.
Red sneakers, that's okay too. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Seeing Red!
November 25, 2019
Surfing USA Beach
Even when you fall down, you should always rise up again!
(Credit Videos: Andy Blumenthal)
Surfing USA Beach
October 20, 2019
Having Each Other
Incredibly painful.
Difficult getting up from sitting or laying position.
Today, I was trying to walk it off a little.
One of my kids was walking with me taking good care of me.
We ran into a neighbor.
She was nice and asked about what happened.
I told her in brief and said how grateful I was for my daughter taking me for a little walk while I try to heal with G-d's help.
She smiled and said how lucky I was (which I acknowledged).
I asked if she had any kids, thinking that she did.
But she goes to me:
I have no one!
I was a little surprised that she didn't have anyone and how she said it.
I sort of repeated it quizzically.
She goes:
Well I did have a cat but she was 19 years old and I had to put her down.
I felt really bad for her, especially since I know she had an operation this last year and is planned for another one coming up.
I said that we're her neighbors and friends and that she can call on us whenever she needs someone.
This whole thing just made me so upset--no one should be so alone.
I really pray that G-d has mercy on his children and that no one should be alone and that we should all have caring and loving people around us always. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Having Each Other
October 19, 2019
Get Over It
"Sh*t Happens So Get Over It."There are no perfect lives out there.
I reminded again this week how everyone has something: Mark Herd, Co-CEO of Oracle, died at 62 and and Elijah Cummings, elected to 12 terms in the House of Representatives, died at 68.
All the success int he world on the surface doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of schlimazel (misfortune) under the surface.
Unfortunately, sh*t definitely happens in life and we can get all spun up over it or we can take everything in faith and stride.
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
What does kill takes us to the next phase of existence.
All you can do is your best, the rest is in the hands of the Almighty above. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Get Over It
October 10, 2019
Adding A Very Special Facebook Friend
My parents passed away 5-6 years ago already.
I always miss them so much!
Somehow, on Facebook, my dad's Facebook profile came up, which I was surprised to find.
Looking at it, I saw under his friends was of course, my mom.
I didn't even know my mom had a Facebook page (I don't think she ever really used it).
But I was so curious, I clicked on her profile.
I saw the prominent blue and white button to "Add Friend."
And I saw my hand reaching to press for that button.
I so wanted to reach out and be able to be with, see, communicate with her again.
Then I stopped myself realizing that the friend request, unfortunately, couldn't go to Heaven.
If only it could...I would be so happy to press that button and have my mom hear from me again. ;-)
(Photo of my dear parents from Florida)
Adding A Very Special Facebook Friend
September 18, 2019
Aging Gracefully
Our bodies and minds may start to deteriorate.
We can't do all the same things we used to do (even as we can maybe do others).
There can be a deep sense of loss as abilities, things, places, and people that were critical to us for many, many years may no longer be present with us.
When I used to speak with my aging father about he and my mom getting older, he would joke and say:
Yes, we're getting older--what's the alternative?
Then the other day, I ran into a nurse from the Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA).
We chatted briefly about the good work they do in helping so many elderly and handicapped people.
And then she says to me about how she herself is starting to feel what it's like to get older, and that she often tells her mom that everything hurts to which her mother responds:
You're not supposed to leave this world alive!
Putting these together:
I suppose we all need to do the best we can to age graciously ourselves as well as help others in the process--because there is no alternative to aging and no one leaves this world alive. ;-)
Aging Gracefully
May 8, 2019
Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) @JCC Rockville
Brave, strong, and dedicated to the survival of Israel.
May their memory be a blessing!
Also a beautiful video my daughter, Minna sent to me.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day) @JCC Rockville
March 25, 2019
An Early Death
She was passing along a message from a wonderful man in class letting her and us know some terrible news.
His son suddenly and unexpectedly died at just 28-years old this past week.
He wrote about how tragedy like this impacts a person and family, and that obviously he didn't know when he would be coming back to class.
The message from this man who had just prematurely lost his son in the prime of his life really hit me.
Life is so tenuous--where everything truly hangs in the balance by a thin thread.
You can think you are building a fortress of success where no one and nothing can touch you, hurt you.
But life has its own catapults, battering rams, siege towers, and explosive moments in store.
You can't really plan for these things, and you are never ready when they happen.
Having to bury a child is not the normal way of the wold, and the pain of this is unimaginable.
A child is the culmination of all our efforts and represents the future, even while we are the past.
I am so sorry for what happened to my friend from class and I wish him my sincerest condolences and that no one should have to go through such tragedy any more.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
An Early Death
January 31, 2019
Respecting Native Americans
People claiming all sorts of racism and hate, and others saying nothing happened--usually the truth is somewhere in between.
In light of this, I wanted to share this awesome painting, and say we should absolutely respect the Native Americans and do everything we can to help them.
These are the indigenous people that were here long before we ever were, and let's just say that they suffered and lost a lot when the first Europeans arrived on these shores.
We are all G-d's children, and no one acting with integrity and peacefully should ever be mistreated or disrespected, no one! ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Respecting Native Americans
January 15, 2019
Transcending Suffering and Impermanence
The Budha says:
Life is suffering.
Why? Because life is impermanence--whatever we gain, eventually, we must lose.
- Riches, power, people, health, even our memories perhaps.
In a sense, this is like the saying from "War of the Roses":
There is no winning, only degrees of losing.
However, there is one exception to the impermanence and loss in life:
The only thing that is permanent is our good deeds, and with this we can achieve an everlasting good name for ourselves.
In Judaism, we teach:
A good name is better than fine oil.
Hence, this is the permanence that we strive for in life and in death.
If we can attain a good name through purity of soul then in a sense, we can transcend life's suffering and impermanence.
By becoming non-attached to all of life's temporary things, and instead focusing on perfecting ourselves, we can free ourselves from suffering and from this world, and then we can go on in everlasting-peace to the afterlife.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Transcending Suffering and Impermanence
September 29, 2018
There is Meaning
On Sukkot, we read Megillat Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) about "vanity of vanities; all is vanity"--everything is temporal in this world and seems meaningless. Yet in what we perceive as meaningless, there is truly so much meaning when we understand the bigger picture of what is happening to us and perhaps why.
G-d works in mysterious ways and bad things can and do turn into good things too. ;-)
(Source Photo of Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
There is Meaning
August 28, 2018
Upside Down Flower On Stairs
It's an upside-down pink flower bent over a concrete stair.
And the stem is sticking straight up and out.
The contrast of the live soft pink flower and the cold hard grey of the concrete stairs is astounding to me.
Life can so easily be bent over, squished out, and left for dead in the cold harsh realities of this world
We are alive, but life can be hard.
We fight to go on, but life is sometimes unforgiving.
The bright spark of life seeks to illuminate the hard grey block.
Breath, beat, live...good health is unbelievably precious.
Arise flower and once again stand tall in the glowing sunshine and the pouring rain.
Nourish yourself in the soil of the Earth, give praise to the L-rd as only life can do. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Upside Down Flower On Stairs
August 21, 2018
Be Strong!
Just a saying about inner strength that I liked:
You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have."(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
Be Strong!
August 20, 2018
When It Turns In
Depression is anxiety turned inward.
When people feel anxious and that they don't have control over their situation that make them feel in a sense helpless, and then the anxiety "has no where to go," it becomes depression.
I guess it make sense that if you feel that you can't really do anything to make things better--and no matter how hard you try--then you feel somewhat helpless/hopeless and get depressed
Perhaps it's almost like a frustration at your own inability to change things you feel you need to change.
That is why a person's feeling some sense of control over their environment and life is so important.
When things are looking down, it helps to try and do something to take back control over what feels like spiraling uncontrollable events and circumstances.
Of course, only G-d really has control over what ultimately happens.
But we need to do our part to try to make things better.
Just taking that first (and second and third) step is freeing.
I'm pretty sure that an element of this is that you can tell yourself that you "did everything you could" so in effect there is a lifting of guilt about the situation, but at the same time there is also a genuine feeling that you are here for a purpose and perhaps have made a difference in this world.
Some people feel big and important, but the reality is that we are all so small in a very big world and universe where suffering and loss can strike (G-d forbid) at any moment.
Man is but a speck of dust in the realm of things.
But at the same time, our speck is filled with a soul of the living G-d.
So we must do what we can to be a good influence and impact.
Whatever it is, it is what we can do.
If everyone--7.6 billion of us out there---does their part that can make a difference.
Don't let life's anxieties become your depression.
Look for what you can contribute--do it!--try your best to make a difference and make the world better.
It's what you're here for and what you can positively do. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
When It Turns In