I was blessed to spend a week visiting my family over winter break. I'm going back to my teaching job this Thursday, but still "off" these past few days. Being "off" doesn't have the same meaning it did a few years ago. I still have to take care of my toddler daughter and I still … Continue reading Vacation: An Opportunity for Fresh Perspectives
Month: December 2019
Being Your Own Person AND Your Mother’s Daughter
Ever since I was a pre-teen, people told me I was so much like my mother. I looked like her. I talked like her. I laughed like her. I was nice like her. I always greeted these comments with a mixture of pride as well as abashment. I was honored to resemble my mother, whom … Continue reading Being Your Own Person AND Your Mother’s Daughter
The Miracle of Hanukkah
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah celebrates how a small group of Jews defeated the mighty Greek army when the Greeks were oppressing them—not allowing them to practice Judaism. Many Jews at that time were assimilating into Greek culture and becoming Hellenists. Hanukkah celebrates those Jews who stayed true to their tradition and resisted the pressure … Continue reading The Miracle of Hanukkah
Give the Gift of Presence
With the commercialized holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas coming up, it makes me wonder, "Why does it have to be so focused on the material?" Maybe this is my budget talking, but I prefer non-material presence. Ideas include: 10-minute massage30-minute heart-to-heart phone callAn hour of free childcare! These options save on money and clutter and, … Continue reading Give the Gift of Presence
Early-Morning Gym-Goers and Overall Success
Recently I've been going to the gym in the early morning to exercise. My first day, the front desk person said he likes how early-morning gym-goers know what they want, have their sh** together, and get in and get out. This made me wonder: Is there a correlation between going to the gym in the … Continue reading Early-Morning Gym-Goers and Overall Success
From Corporate to Chaos: How Becoming a Mom Changed My Career Path
There is something I really miss about having a desk job. And that is: it was even-keeled (for the most part). Now that also made it boring at times, which is why I was eager to branch out away from it. I don’t mind doing nothing sometimes, but doing nothing in a small office without … Continue reading From Corporate to Chaos: How Becoming a Mom Changed My Career Path
A Photoshopped World, A Tormented Soul
This morning my mom made an innocent comment that the way my daughter was wearing her hair made her look like Audrey Hepburn. I felt uncomfortable with this, because growing up and to this day I struggle with social comparison, including with celebrities. I still remember learning in my late teens that magazines are photoshopped. … Continue reading A Photoshopped World, A Tormented Soul
A Mommy’s Tummy Ache is Different
This morning I had a stomach ache. My body tends to express stress in this way. And the past few weeks have been full of emotions—conscious and repressed ones—so my hurting tummy is no surprise. I had a tummy ache, but not only did I still have to go to work—as I'm used to as … Continue reading A Mommy’s Tummy Ache is Different
A Soul Cannot Be Seen
There is this concept in Judaism that an image of G-d cannot be made. G-d is beyond physical attributes, and when physical descriptions are used in the Bible, they are meant as metaphors to facilitate human understanding. For example, when it says He took the Israelites out of slavery "with an outstretched arm." So too, … Continue reading A Soul Cannot Be Seen
Wisdom Grows with Age, the Ageless Soul
I took a moment during my busy day working at the preschool and thought about how much I have grown. Gave myself credit for the work I have done in being more self-compassionate and less full of self-doubt and judgment. I still have a long way to go, but I have improved over the years. … Continue reading Wisdom Grows with Age, the Ageless Soul
Mindful Nuggets 