Man of the Year

Before I go on, let me make something clear, I am not a Catholic, not even a Christian, I am a Jew.

Time magazine named Pope Francis Man of the Year. Who is this man from Argentina who took the world by his gentle storm? Why is he so appealing to many (not only Catholics)? I listened to the experts on CNN, analyzing the Pope Francis phenomena, though they were right in their conclusions, mine was somewhat less scientific and more simple.

Pope Francis, as we Jews would say, is a mentsch. In Yiddish, this means a person with integrity (more or less). In my mind he is nothing more than a Man , in the real sense of the word. I watched the people listening to His speech today. Many of them did not even understand what he was saying, but there was no need for it. It was understood, you didn't even need an interpreter. He delivers the MESSAGE loud and clear. Live your lives as humans, shed yourselves from religious dogma, see the people around you as people and not objects.

Christmas or not, the World was not a peaceful place today. Maybe, just maybe we should listen what the Man of the Year has to say.

To my friends who celebrate it, say Happy Birthday to the most famous Jewish kid in history. As to the Man of the Year, you may just pull it off, unite not divide.

Have a good one everyone!

White Blanket

I watched as the perfect snowflakes touched the ground. One by one, they dusted the street, then their dance, so elegant, picked up and became frenzied. The frozen waters from the sky shed their aristocratic move, and came down hard.

What once was dark pavement, became white. Tree branches bent under the crystals and garbage left on the lawn disappeared. I wondered, how easy it is for this winter blessing to erase what is wrong. Covering us with its protective white blanket, muzzling the sounds around, banishing the ugly and grey.

I wanted to have a white blanket, I wanted to put it over the questions, I wanted to pretend that everything is pristine and innocent. I wanted to forget the cruel world out there. I don't have a white blanket, nothing can be covered, I have to face what is under it.

The snowflakes touched the ground, whiteness engulfed the street and I saw it; PEACE and SILENCE tangled up in one hovering above me. Come, cover me with your white blanket!

Finding the Magic

Once a year, in the month of December, many of us becoming wild eyed kids, full of anticipation. You can feel it in the air, on the streets, even on the subway. The month has this mysterious aura about it. Whether or not you celebrate Christmas (which I don't), the annual hunt for magic has been declared.

It is difficult not to give in to the bright lights, the special smells, the snowy landscape - if you live in the Northern Hemisphere- and the promise to receive something. This time of the year supposed to be magical, but what is magic?

We humans, seek out new things, constantly looking for THAT special thing or someone. We are eternal magic hunters. We may think magic is unattainable, it is surreal, even paranormal. If we find something exciting we equate that with magic, but once the novelty wears off, we are ready to discard it and look for the next thing.

Magic is constant, all encompassing and has one source, YOU. Yes, YOU hold the key to perpetuate this wonderful thing called MAGIC. It is within you, no need  for special dates in the calendar to bring it out.

Before you run and dive into this artificially enhanced magic hunt, take a step back and look no further than yourself. You are nothing short of being this exciting, radiant,  mysterious being. Your inner magic overflows, becomes contagious and in no time everyone around you will find THAT THING they have been looking for.

Christmas is only one day, YOUR magic is eternal.

Have a wonderful December!

Neverland

I am torn between my two advisers, Reason and Dreams. I have been accused of the latter many times in my life. Me, the dreamer; me the visionary; me the one who sees a bright future. Many of you may say, that is great, dreamers are the ones who propel the world. Visionaries the ones that make things happen. Those who see that bright future are the givers of hope.

I wish life would be that simple. Yes, I do have a dream, I do envision great success and I for sure, see a bright future. However, it does not matter if I can't bring them to life in reality. That's when Reason takes over and starts to nag me. Constantly being on my case, relentlessly questioning me if I have done this or done that. Reason is on a never ending audit, putting all my decisions, actions under the cruel eye of a microscope. Reason has a habit of not letting it go.

As you see, I am in a bind. I would love to be in my Neverland, I would love to have fairy dust sprinkled on me, I would love to fly and float over the Ocean of Possibilities. I would love all that, but that stubborn, hard headed Headmaster called, Reason keeps me in line.

The trip to Neverland has been postponed for the time being. Me, and my old buddy Reason, will grind it out until I could have that boarding pass to Neverland. So, my dearest friend Dreams, be patient; I am on my way.

Malala and my grandmother

A fragile teenage girl from Pakistan has become a symbol of perseverance, will and sheer determination almost overnight. Her story reminded  me of another one, set in a small village in Eastern Hungary, a century earlier.

The story is about a little girl who had a passion for knowledge, the desire to explore and a dream of becoming a doctor one day. In her case neither the passion, nor the desire was enough to get her an education. She was allowed only to finish 3rd grade. She had two strikes against her from the beginning. One, she was a girl and two, she happened to be a Jewish girl. Schools were operated by the church (either Protestant or Catholic) back then, and only a certain amount of Jewish students were accepted. Girls were not given a priority, so as soon as they learned to read and write, they were out.

The little girl grew up to be a wonderful and strong woman. Without a formal education, her instincts, intelligence and inherent smarts helped her navigate through the maze of life.  She did not  become a doctor, nor a lawyer, but her passion for knowledge never faded. This strong woman was my grandmother, Olga.

Malala and Olga,  on opposite ends of the religious and geographic spectrum, shared very similar experiences. The difference is Malala has a voice now. She won`t be ignored nor silenced.  Malala is a hero to many, Olga is the biggest hero to me.

What do you like in your...?

Often we are focusing on what we don't like in our ... (you fill out the blanks). Me, being an eternal optimist I would rather focus on what I DO LIKE in my life, kids, significant other, parent, work, social life (the list is long).

So, for starters I invite you to tell me what you do like in your significant other (if you have one) or what traits are important to you to have in a significant other (if you are still looking for that special person).

Here is my list what I LOVE in my significant other:


1. His brilliant mind

2. His patience

3. His sense of humor

4. His spontaneity

5. His willingness to be a kid once in a while

6. His down-to-Earth nature

7. His smile

8. His sports analysis (ranging from baseball through soccer, hockey to basketball)

9. His integrity

10. His faith in me


This is by no means the entire list. Oh, I almost forgot his good looks doesn't hurt either :)

Let me know what you like/love in your significant other. You never know, by making a list, you may re-discover the very reasons why you tied your life to that person. Don't lose sight of it!!

Elul - Seek, Search and Draw Conclusions

To most people in the Northern Hemisphere, August is a fun month. Many take exciting vacations enjoying what the Summer has to offer. While August promises relaxation, careless leisure and adventures; for a very small segment of the population, the month promises something entirely different.

This year, August coincides with the Jewish month of Elul. Most of you, don't even know what Elul is. Elul is the 6th month of the Hebrew calendar. The name comes from the Babylonian Exile, has several meanings, one is Harvest (from Akkadian) and the other is Search (from Aramaic). In this case the Aramaic meaning hits the nail on its head. According to tradition, in this period, we all should search our souls, take inventory, seek ways to reconcile not only with others , but also with ourselves. For the religious among us, it is a recurring ritual (blowing the Shofar, reciting Psalms and say special prayers Slichot ) a yearly reminder about ourselves and our deeds of the past year.

But what about us, the less than or not religious at all? Shouldn't soul searching, seeking reconciliation be an ongoing event? Why do we need a designated month to take ownership over our actions? Should fear over punishment guide us, instead of reason? 

Too many questions and very few answers. In the meantime, I am making my own inventory, just in case.