Tikkun Olam

I just read my daughter's RSD Blog, and although I had spoken to her about the 4th of July barbeque right after it was held at her Tel-Aviv apartment, and knew what had ensued, I was very moved by what she wrote about it, and decided to post it in it's entirety here.  This is my daughter, in a wheelchair for a year with a so-far incurable nerve disease called RSD/CRPS (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), whose life changed in an instant due to a relatively minor car accident from "normal," to disabled, at the age of twenty-three. Please visit her blog, My Personal Battle with RSD .  Here is her 4th of July post. Perfection, Bliss, and a `whole’ lot of Soul… This past 4 th of July, I bore witness to the most beautiful and pure thing anyone could ever possibly view.  Some people might say that that is a bit extreme of a statement. These people are right. It is incredibly extreme. But, it is true. Imagine seeing a s...

My almost-91/2-year-old granddaughter Noa has been with us for one week (she arrived last Friday) now, and she has been a pleasure! It is so wonderful to come home from work to a child in the house again, even though I come home exhausted--I 'teach' and care for babies this summer, who have become toddlers--every one of them is walking now--assisting the main teacher (who does the art projects, child portfolios and conferences. Don't miss that part of it) from morning to early afternoon, part-time.  It's hands-on, and very physical, down to strapping everybody into what I call the "baby train," a four-seater Kindervan, powered by teacher-power only, and going for daily walks around the neighborhood.  Sometimes we have seven children, and not enough strollers and adults to walk, but most of the time we have six, so the extra 2 are strapped into a double-stroller and off we go! But I digress.  I haven't had a kid here--either my kids, or grandkids-for a...

(nablopomo day 6) This might be my only post for today, as I've got to get ready: flying out on Thursday to see my two daughters and grandkids, in that other state. So meanwhile, enjoy some of our pics from our Fourth of July trip.

(nablopomo day 5) Funny, a day after our day trip to that mountain town to see fireworks, I am still tired.  Traveling with a bunch of people (as opposed to a group of bananas) including two inquisitive, active kids with minds of their own and a baby who needs almost constant attention--let alone the parents --is exhausting work.  And lots of FUN! But it shows me how my energy level has dropped since I was. . .thirty!  Believe it or not, the friends we went with are around that age.  You might consider it strange, but I get along with all age groups.  Another good friend of mine is 79 (as you probably surmised, my age is somewhere between those two friends'...go ahead, start guessing...).   I can't help comparing my situation when I was that age, to my friend's: when I was thirty, I had just had another child, making our number 2.  Our friends ( The Shreimels ) already have three! Do you remember what is was like to travel with kids? Multip...

(nablopomo day 4) We got home after midnight (my excuse for a late Nablopomo!) so there was no way I could post before the day was over.  We and our good friends and neighbors, the shtreimels * , went with their three kids under five to a town two and a half hours away northwest, to have a two-meal picnic and see fireworks. The kids were great, the company was wonderful, the meals were yummy, and the fireworks were nice, too--over the lake. Will write more tomorrow (bli neder), because I am too pooped to peep.  Hope you all had a happy family day on the Fourth, and remembered why America was once--and still could be--a great country. *shtreimel: a type of large, round fur hat attached to black velvet center skullcap which married men of certain Hassidic sects wear.