We were at a family gathering when my cousin Millie’s two sons (giant oak trees) pointed to a chair and said, “Doña please sit”. Doña I repeated, did he just call me Doña? I’m not old why would he call me Doña? This term of Doña (Spanish title) was first used as respect for the head of a landowner (Don) and … Continue reading From Deadhead to Grayhead
In last month’s blog we looked at Genesis chapter 24 and the story of Isaac and Rebecca. We saw Abraham coordinating a marriage for Isaac at the end of his life. Abraham sends a trusted servant with specific instructions; Abraham said in Genesis 24:4, “but you will go to my country and to my relatives, … Continue reading Part Two: Waiting in Line
We sat excitedly waiting for the ceremony to begin. The wind was blowing, the clouds were rolling in, the waves were crashing, and we all sat with big smiles on our faces. Now Joey and Haley stood under the chuppah holding hands and beginning a new life together. The Rabbi spoke about when they first … Continue reading Waiting In Line
As I sit here writing I am recuperating from a mild case of Covid. Throughout my illness, I tried to figure out how did I get sick. Did I walk by someone? Did someone cough, sneeze, breathe on me? The reality is that I don’t have a definitive point of infection. Which started me thinking … Continue reading Fragrance In Spite of Covid
I paced throughout the house during the early morning praying, begging, seeking and looking for an answer. Someone precious to me was seriously ill and I didn’t understand. Have you ever questioned why would God would do this awful thing? There is a gnawing pain you feel because you have trusted God, but now you … Continue reading Can You Really Trust God?
Every year, at this time, I dread the Florida heat. It is so hot that it feels like you’re in a furnace, and the only place of refuge is any place that has air conditioning. Whatever you do, don’t walk on the sidewalk without your shoes! During the hottest period of the summer, in Florida … Continue reading The Blazing Furnace
In my family we are not handy. If something needs to be repaired or assembled, a handyman is summoned. So, after my retirement, I realized that there was lots of work to be done in my home. My daughter’s room had become a mess, where in the middle of the chaos I would try to … Continue reading Carpet and Stucco and Nails..Oh My!
Our aunt Mindy used to say that “real people’s stories were better than any movie or book”. She would tell us stories of people she knew from the old days in Miami or from the lower east side of New York City. The stories would always surprise me with the bravery, resiliency, emotional turmoil and … Continue reading When You Want To Say No To God
All throughout the bible God shows himself time and again as being the one who has our backs. He is the one who knows our needs before we ask, before we have realized that we even have a problem! In the Garden of Eden, we see God knowing that Adam would need a companion, and … Continue reading Who Has Your Back?
There is a beautiful piyyut (liturgical poem) that is sung during Yom Kippur that is called, “Ki Hinei Hachomer” (Like Clay In the Hands Of the Potter) which I have fallen in love with! It is a medieval liturgical poem and it is based on Jeremiah 18:6; “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal … Continue reading The Accuser
