Lighten Up!

I left my house the other morning equipped with a little piece of paper listing all the subjects I hoped to discuss with Hashem (the Creator). Having a list serves as a catalyst to get me talking and gives me focus.

I had a lot to talk about; I hadn't been out in two or three days and I was beginning to feel that pull -- either pull in close or slip further away. So I got out and it felt great.

I was playing it by ear, letting the talk take me wherever… Every once in a while something took away my focus.

There was an adorable little kid in a stroller and the most curious looking dog who stopped to look at me. The ripples in the man-made pond caught my eye. And most fascinating was this group of seven or eight birds standing in a perfect circle on the side of the path I was taking. It looked as though they were having a conference! They were chirping back and forth to one another with speed and animation. It was an amazing scene.

Then there's the gentleman who walks in the park every day around the same time I go out. He always nods his head and says 'good morning' in a heavily Russian-accented Hebrew. He always makes me smile. Another 'walker' who gets me to smile is this very elderly woman. She doesn't speak a word of Hebrew.

She must be over ninety years old. She is always well clad and walks at a slow pace with her cane; she's out there every day doing her thing. I admire her. We pass each other and smile. It's sweet.

So that's how it was going when a new 'walker' hit the scene...at least new for me. He must have been a little older than me. He was walking with his cell phone on full volume and listening to one of my favorite Don McLean songs. I had to stop because I almost did not believe what I was hearing. I just stopped in my tracks and watched as he passed me, smiling to his music. I considered following him so I could hear the rest of the song but I decided not to since I was supposed to be carrying on a conversation with G-d.

After each interruption, I got back to my conversation with the Creator. I was being very serious about coming up with a blog. It's been a very busy two weeks since Chanukah and I found myself in a 'dry spell' - no ideas, no spark...

After walking around the park a couple of times, I sat on a bench enjoying the greenery. Along comes this guy with the cell phone again. Now he was humming to himself and smiling as if the only thing of importance in his life was his music - Oldies, of course. I chuckled to myself being an Oldies freak myself. (My daughter thinks oldies music is anything recorded before the year 2,000. She has no idea.)

Well, when the guy passed me the third time around, he was literally dancing and singing along with his phone. It struck me so funny because it reminded me of myself on my trampoline dancing to Oldies music. That time I had to laugh out loud (after he'd passed of course). I sat on the bench laughing at myself and at the joy this guy was obviously experiencing. Two middle aged people getting their kicks from Oldies.

I thanked Hashem for the laugh. It felt like a good release. On the way home it struck me that the whole time, Hashem was playing Hide and Seek with me.

He peeked at me through the little baby's adorable face; He peeked at me from behind the curious eyes of the dog. He peeked at me through the smiles of the regular walkers, through the ripples in the water and through the little birds huddled in the circle.

When Don McLean showed up, I think He was waving his hands wildly at me - so to speak. I just kept on with my list of prayers, keeping to the program. Finally, He forced me to stop and give a hearty laugh. After I thanked Him for the laugh, I was sure I heard a voice in my head say "lighten up!"

Even with the best intentions, we can miss the meaning behind the finest moments in our day.

Wishing you happy days filled with enlightened moments -

Shabbat shalom,

MashaFaygel