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The ESP of the Jewish Way of Life 
Roll your mouse over each circle to find the questions. Click on circles for more about Jewish ESP!
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A Kiss After Midnight by Gil Mann |
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Dear Readers: |
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Well past midnight, my
son’s voice called out
to me from his bedroom:
"Dad, will you
kiss me?" I was surprised to hear him. I had thought he was asleep long ago. Not only that,but Josh was now almost eleven; and even though as a family we are quite physical, my once-little boy was now a "big fifth grader" and he did not often actually ask me for a kiss anymore. A kiss and a hug and "I thought you were asleep." "I can’t sleep. With all the news about Princess Diana and all the other people who have died this week, I am afraid someone I love will suddenly die too." And what to say? He was right. When he called me, I had been engaged in my usual late-night routine of reading the latest news online from the Internet... and how depressing, what a terrible week. Shocking deaths — so many lives ending so instantly: First Princess Diana. And here, I must confess that even though I am not a fan of royalty, this woman’s story — her personal problems, her capacity to care for others, her two boys left without her and the suddenness of her death — saddened me greatly. Next, another horrible bombing in Israel — this time in the middle of Jerusalem while people were shopping — grotesque deaths, children killed, and 200 wounded. The week continued… the next day, 12 Israeli soldiers blown to bits in southern Lebanon, their body parts gleefully displayed by their enemies. In each of these cases, a family was now in pain. My heart ached for them all. Peace in the Middle East seemed to be close to death that week as well, to say nothing, of course, of other carnage in Algeria and elsewhere. And to close out this dreadful week, the death of another remarkable woman — Mother Teresa, the world’s model of affording dignity and comfort to tortured souls. What a week… grief compounding grief. And with my head full of these thoughts and sorrow, what to say to Josh? My first reaction was, "Josh you don’t need to worry about anyone dying. It’s true, it could happen. But the odds are you have nothing to worry about." Though I wanted to give him more, I wasn’t quite sure what to add. I had offered him nothing that he did not already know. Nonetheless, it seemed that my small assurance made him feel better, at least for now. He was now quite tired, nearly drifting off to sleep. Still, as I left to get ready for bed myself, I was not comfortable with my answer. The week’s events had stunned and upset me to the core. Yet as I slowly brushed my teeth I realized that even in this darkest of weeks, I felt very alive and very grateful. I returned to his bedroom. "Josh, you know, when people die it can also remind us to appreciate and cherish every moment we have with those we love who are still with us and to always count all of our blessings." Silence. "Did you hear that Josh?" "Yeah. Good night Dad." I was probably speaking more to myself that to him. In my way, I was speaking my own prayer of Shehechiyanu. Unusual perhaps, since the Shehechiyanu is traditionally said during joyous occasions. But it is also said when we experience something unique, new, and good for the first time. Though according to Jewish law there are specific times when we should say the Shehechiyanu, I often think we could say the Shehechiyanu more since we regularly experience positive and unique moments. I try to think the words of the Shehechiyanu to myself on a regular basis, especially during weeks when frequent bad news makes it obvious that death, tragedy, and crisis can arrive abruptly and without warning. The Shehechiyanu reminds me to find ways to cherish the blessings I have every day, every hour, and every minute — mindful that those minutes and blessings could be gone in a second. So while I still have been given time, I often make the time to think: Baruch Atah Hashem,Elokeinu Melach Haolam,shehechiyanu,v’keyamanu v’heigeanu lazman ha zeh. "I am grateful to the source of life, that I have been kept alive and brought to this moment so that I may share life with those I love and experience the blessings and goodness that life has to offer." After all, our lives and our time with those we love can be as fleeting as a kiss after midnight… This reflection appeared in the book Voice of the Spirit:Inspirations based on the Music of Craig Taubman,edited by Janet Bain Fattal,published by Sweet Louise Music. |
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Having
a richer SPIRITUAL life.