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.

Nine innings of solitude

I am a recent convert to this intriguing game called, baseball. I have to admit, up until 2,5 years ago, I found the game utterly boring and long. My lack of enthusiasm was largely due to lack of knowledge and the culture I lived in at the time.

Nevertheless I was determined to give another shot and try to understand the game. When my better half came in "shining armor", explaining the intricacies of the game, a whole new world has opened up. I could not believe, how fantastic this game can be. Don't get fooled people, baseball requires brains from all. It
is a numbers game, based on stats and match-ups.

Each player has a role and that role is determined by their history. Winning is a team effort, but in baseball it comes down to the Man on the Mound. We love to see balls blasted out of the ballpark, enjoy gravity defying catches by the outfield, however the key is in the Pitcher's hand.

He sets the tone, and the pace. It is a mind game, the Pitcher must find his zone in which nobody can disturb him. His decision what to throw can make or break a game. Nine innings of solitude, it is him and the ball.

The Pitcher, like Moses on Mt. Sinai, is alone. He is a special breed, every success and every failure is his doing. No one to blame but himself.

We all have our "nine innings of solitude" when facing tough decisions. For me, I would love to throw a 98 mph fastball to the problems I face, seeing them swinging at it, but failing to hit. I can only thrive for pitching the perfect game, in the meantime I am hoping for one strike at a time.

Women; Ambassadors of Peace

How many times have you heard, if women would run governments, war and discord would be eliminated? Personally, I have heard it millions of times. Somewhere back in my mind , I knew it could be true. Aren't we, women, seeking solutions  rather than confrontation, by nature?  Aren't we natural peacekeepers? Don't we have the innate ability to bridge gaps?

The answer is yes, we are. I saw it, experienced it first hand on Sunday. Let me tell you about my little adventure that took place in a town called Milton, Ontario. I was invited to do a food and craft show in a small community center. I had no idea who the organizers were, I got the call from my friend Khadra, to let's go and set up shop. I responded to the call, and drove to Milton. It turned out, it was organized by South Asian women with the aim to promote home based businesses to enable other women become independent.

What Khadra did not tell me, that the vast majority of the participants would be Muslims, many of them devout. My dear friend would not even think about it, since our main goal was to introduce our products and sell them. So, here I was, the one and only Jewish woman, with the Star of David clearly visible on her necklace; promoting healthy, organic beverages. Oh yes, I was the odd one out, but not for long.

We worked in harmony,  made many contacts, met some amazing, strong women and  who we pray to, was never an issue. Myths were dispelled, we found common ground. Many would say, only in Canada. Yes, Canada is unique in this respect. I love the fact that me the Jewish (Israeli), is able to bridge gaps, build bridges, bring my culture/religion to those who would otherwise see me as the enemy at best, or Satan itself at worst.

I only wish, that those 7 hours in Milton, could be projected to the entire globe.  OK, I am an idealist, I know reality all too well, but for a little while, in a small town called, Milton, Ontario, that idealism did manifest itself.

Thank you Khadra, thank you all the wonderful women at the show! Let's continue to be who we are, women, ambassadors of peace.


Good night everyone!

Don't forget to say - "I love you"

I didn't know him, but those who are close to me, did. His passing was without warning, unexpected, shocking, leaving many behind with a great sense of loss, disbelief, numbness. Even though I have never met him, his sudden exit reinforced what I have been telling others for years.

We know, nothing can be taken for granted, yet we do. We like to think that those around us know how we feel about them and we think there is no need to verbalize it every day. We make plans, we look forward to getting together, we immerse ourselves in the flow of life.

I know about loss, all too well. I made a promise to myself long ago, I will not take anything for granted. I tell my mom every day, how important she is to me; how much I love and admire her; how I miss her every day. The same goes for my children. I would never miss an opportunity to tell my soul-mate, how I feel about him,  how much I appreciate his being. I tell my friends too, how blessed I am, for they are in my life.

Don't take anything for granted! Carpe diem, live your life to the fullest, pursue your dreams, make it happen! We are here on borrowed time. Don't say, "nahh I have time, I will do it later"; you really don't know if you do.

Most of all, don't be afraid to say "I love you" , every day!!


To all the readers of this post: enjoy, cherish, and embrace life!!