I am watching the generation change..literally. My closest friends from synagogue, family or neighbors, whom I loved to share stories about the "good ole days" with, are passing away with regularity. It makes me so sad that I find myself weeping over it. After my brother passed away some years ago I promised myself I would not attend any more funerals. It hurt too much. Then this thing called Zoom came along during the pandemic where you could listen to a funeral without actually attending and for now this seems to be a suitable alternative. I try to voluneer for projects that bring me joy. I am involved in putting together a cookbook for our synagogue that has been active for going on 160 years in 2026. This congregation has had recipe files from the 1950's in metal boxes for sale and xerox copies of congregant recipes that were passed out and even recipes included in Tribute books of honories. But never a real collected and professionally printed cookbook. I decided it was time. Obviously, I was not in charge of the cookbook, but, after going through several cookbook meetings and a Covid Pandemic, who knew that was coming, we are "back on the path", as I have written about previously, and hopefully by November we will go to print.
Another area of concern is the heat, fires and earthquakes that occur. Seriously, you cannot turn on the news and not hear about another tragedy occuring in a place that I have truly enjoyed visiting in the past. Recently, we attended a family wedding on the east coast and the temperature was in the mid 90's and the humidity was intolerable. It made the temperature feel like it was in the low 100's. You couldn't safely be in this weather outside for too long without needing water and potentially passing out from heat exposure. Yet people work ouside, the homeless live on the streets, and yes, communities have cooling shelters, but are they used and will this ultimately turn into a normal way of life? Where I live in the snow belt, one day we had two feet of snow and 80 degrees in the same day! It was so weird. Five years ago for my birthday I was treated to a trip to Maui, in Hawaii. We had been there with the kids and my mother about 15 years before and had a great time. Last week in the news Lahaina, the capital city for native Hawaiians, and one of our favorite places to visit, broke out in flames. Many people died and lost their homes. It is a tragedy. I wanted to visit Morocco, as my friend recently went, and this city just experienced a massive earthquake.
Don't misunderstand, I sympathize with the tragedy that befell these areas of the world and donate when I can to help. But one of the points of this mention is you have to take care of yourself first in order to be able to help others no matter what the trouble. And there will always be troubles somewhere of all kinds. So how do you help yourself? Get enough rest, take a day off, if you are able, read a book or watch a silly show on television. Listen to music, meditate when you can, take a walk, do a session of yoga, tai chi or swim. As I have said before try to eat healthy. More fruits and vegetables, proteins and healthy carbohydrates when you have the opportunity. My favorite is to make a to-do list or write in a journal which is basically what I am doing now. Happy New Year Rosh Hashanah 5784 L'Shanah Tovah!
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