An Update
Housekeeping me? Nope, it is a strength that I do not possess, but there is a little housekeeping that I need to do today because of a transition in this little blog.
You may have noticed when you opened the page today that although the name of this blog will remain the same, the photograph of mom and me is gone from the top of the page. The eleven months has come to an end, and this blog, which was to be a series of reflections during the year of kaddish for my beautiful mother is also over, however writing this blog over the past ten months has meant so much to me that I would like to continue writing. The act of writing gives me the incentive each day to see and report the world as I see it, so I hope that you, dear reader, might continue to read this blog even as it changes.
During the year of Kaddish I had many opportunities to write about my mom and it is hard to imagine leaving that behind so I will allow myself sometimes to continue to write about Irma, Saul and their continued legacy. It is eleven months ago now since I tucked my mom in for the last time before she decided it was time to leave this world and go back to Saul, to Lola, to Rose and Papa Abrasha. It is a memory that I keep tucked away in my heart and I hope that my writings help you think about your own families and be grateful to be a part of your own unique family system.
As a person who is no longer in the work force full time (I can never bring myself to say that I have retired) I feel that it is my responsibility to create and to do whatever I can with the tools which I possess. Most of the time it is trying to build connections with people, but it also involves reflecting on this crazy world we live in now. I know that many of us are in the same boat, and so many of you are doing the same; struggling to create meaning and usefulness at a time where our hands are largely tied behind our backs. Some of you are working and some of you are volunteering and some of you are caring for families and for loved ones but what we have in common is the wish to get through this pandemic and then to start life anew with fresh ideas and energy to greet our families and friends again. So, without going on too long, I hope you will continue to read these blog posts and perhaps even to share your own thoughts and ideas with me as your words are the sprinkles on the cake in this blog. (Thank you, Bethany)
You'll notice that when you go to the blog now there is a new screen which asks for contact information. I did this with the hope that I can get my distribution list straight. I am not really sure who gets updates and who doesn't so I added this page in hope that people will sign up and I'll have a better handle on administering the blog which isn't my forte. I am also trying to organize the writing according to genre, whether it be poetry, reflections on the memory room, family, etc, the work will be organized. I don't even remember most of my own posts!
I'll be sending out a second post today or tomorrow on being on the other side of saying kaddish, a small set of observations of listening to kaddish instead of saying the kaddish. I hope that you will continue to tune in.
Thank you, dear family and buddies, for being part of my life and for what you do in the world. I esteem and respect you for it. Thank you, mom, for the inspiration to write.
