“None of those statements is invalid. And they all focus on why the person is wrong for having the problem they have”
I felt so validated when I read Penina Steinbruch’s Lifetakes describing how for many years she didn’t love Purim. I love Purim day — the chaos, the costumes, the joy in the air. But the weeks leading up to it? I have a crying bout almost every year. Weirdly enough, I prefer making Pesach to getting Purim organized. Somehow, at least in Israel, regular life stops or slows down in the week before Pesach, giving you time to get things done. Not so with Purim — you already have making Pesach on your head, you have your regular work-life balance you’re struggling to maintain, and then you need to plan, buy, and put together shalach manos, the kids Purim costumes, and the Purim seudah. Every year, my pre-Purim meltdown is preceded by my husband’s comment of, “Why didn’t we start planning earlier?” and “Why am I the only man in the costume gemach and the disposable stores?”
Thank you, Penina. I feel less alone now.
R. J.
Okay, can you even imagine my surprise when I opened up my Family First and read Meira Leiser’s excellent story on the emunah needed when becoming homeowners… literally 24 hours after we signed on our own first apartment in Israel?!
Every word resonated (we, too, are now kidney-less after many a surprise fee) and found her journey of bitachon extremely relatable.
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