GREAT READS → SECOND GUESSING Issue 998 · February 7, 2024

Help-less: Readers Join the Conversation

“If it’s so much the absolute right thing to do... then you go babysit for your sister”

Help-less: Readers Join the Conversation
“If it’s so much the absolute right thing to do… then you go babysit for your sister”
Last Week:

“Chavi, I need you to help Toby out,” I say firmly. “She’s a young mother, she needs to go to this dinner, and you love Baruch Ber. Just do it, please.”

Chavi glares at me, her mouth set in a straight line. “Fine! I’ll just cancel on Rikki then, the one bright spot in my entire week,” she snaps and stomps off to her room.

I’d totally forgotten to offer to pay for her food or tell her about the double pay. I guess it’ll wait until she stomps back down the stairs. In the meantime, I’ll just sit here wallowing, wondering if I made the right choice. Did I squash my daughter to help my sister? Or should Chavi know by now that chesed keeps the world going round?

And all I could think was… What should I have done differently?

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