Hi, all. How are your Pesach plans coming along? I will be home the whole Y”T and taking off work two days of Chol Hamoed as well. There will be many people at my parents for Y”T plus on Chol Hamoed we are getting together with more family. That is a lot of family time. In The Joy of Connections, by Dr. Ruth Westheimer, one part of the book is about family relationships and how much we need them, even if they are far from perfect: “Don’t allow your distaste for any one aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, to keep you away. The lonelier you are, the more you need your family.” A similar theme was echoed in Letters to a Young Therapist, by Dr. Mary Pipher: “We have elaborated on what families do to people but we haven’t articulated what families do for people. While families are imperfect institutions, they are also our greatest source of meaning, connection, and joy.” I know that everyone’s family is different and people need to set limits based on their own situations, but I wanted to share these quotes as they really struck a chord in me.
One thing that helps me out over Y”T (which will not come as a shock) is having a stack of books at the ready when I want to retreat to my room. Another one of my joys is reading with my nieces and nephews, and I have taken out a stack of picture books from the library that I’m excited about:
Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, by Lloyd Moss, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
Marsupial Sue, by John Lithgow, illustrated by Jack E. Davis
Micawber, by John Lithgow, illustrated by C. F. Payne
Little Tree, by Loren Long
We’re Going on a Picnic!, by Pat Hutchins
Growing Vegetable Soup, by Lois Ehlert
The Midnight Fair, by Gideon Sterer, illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio
The King’s Stilts, by Dr. Suess
Earl the Squirrel, by Don Freeman
Norman the Doorman, by Don Freeman
I hope to post once or twice more this week – in the meantime, happy Pesach preparations!
