| Last year, I boarded a plane to spend Peysakh with
friends and family on the East coast. Upon arrival, the weather was barely above
freezing, but the cold did not bother me, because my first ten days were spent
in a warm kitchen preparing for the holiday.
After the second seder, it was time to venture into the world, and I made
a date to have dinner with my friend. On the way to meet her, I stepped off the
bus, and saw a bit of unexpected loveliness. In the middle of Broadway, was
Verdi Square. Under gray skies, amidst tall buildings and the fumes of traffic:
were blooming Daffodils and Forsythia.
The blossoms were beautiful reminders that G-d's love is everywhere around us. I
stood awhile on the corner, enjoying them until it was time to go to the
restaurant. Then, as I waited, another bloom came into view, the smile on
Carol's face as she saw me. We hugged, and then went inside to have our meal.
When it was time to go, she walked me back to the tiny patch of Springtime, and
said good-bye until next time.
This month we will observe Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a time for
gratitude. Look around you at the flowers, and faces of friends. Let us show our
thanks by being a light unto the nations. Try to live each day with a caring
which is the true triumph of good over evil.
A few days after Yom ha'Shoah, it will be Rosh Khodesh Iyar, and
then the Sabbath. We will celebrate peace and renewal in the ways of our
ancestors. The wicked have come and gone, but the gift of blessedness is
eternal. Remember and be grateful for the love which has brought us so far. Hug
someone and enjoy a flower for those who can no longer do that.
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