Shalom My Gantseh Megillah Family and Friends,

The start of the Christmas-New Year holiday period when stress and tension are always at their highest is when my computer decides to develop a major problem. Since we were preparing to leave for Seneca Falls, New York to spend Christmas with Aunty and other family members I could not devote the time and attention necessary to fix it. So we headed south knowing our problems would be waiting for us when we got back.

This was a particularly happy Christmas after the horrendous autumn when Aunty’s accident gave us all a great scare. As many of you know, she suffered a serious fall and broke her femur at the end of August. Major surgery at 103-years-of-age is a lot to ask of anyone. Miraculously though, Aunty beat the odds, and not only remained with us, but regained most of her pre-accident strength and determination just in time to greet her holiday visitors.

Gifts were exchanged, much (too much) food was eaten and a grand time was had by all. The only discussion of my computer problems occurred between me and my 22-year-old nephew Nick who is something of a computer maven. He listened sympathetically and wished me well with my tzoris when we returned home after Christmas.

Come the 27th of December we headed back up to cold, white Montreal. I felt renewed and happy, and facing my computer didn’t seem like such an awesome task after all. My positive mood did not last long. While dealing with the initial problem and putting in hours and hours of work, a component burned out and had to be replaced. To add insult to injury, it was now the day before New Year’s Eve, and a technician would not be able to come to our home until after the holiday period was over. In Montreal, where we do holidays right, that period did not end until Wednesday, January 5th.

There was nothing much I could do about the computer until then, so I just decided to feel a bit sorry for myself, and relax as best I could. I turned on the TV and began watching MSNBC news. Keith Olbermann was showing and describing the latest video footage from the tsunami ravaged areas of South Asia. Because we were all busy with the holiday when this tragedy struck, I hadn’t paid close attention to the developments on the other side of the world. Now with my time unencumbered by more mundane activities, I paid closer attention to this apocalyptic event.

As I watched the monstrous waves wash away the families and homes of so many thousands of people, I realized just how very fortunate I was to be facing nothing worse than a malfunctioning computer at the start of the New Year. Suddenly the problems I thought were so enormous and insurmountable took their proper place in the reality of life. It now became just a mere temporary inconvenience that a little time and patience would remedy. Often the best cure for the problems we face in our daily lives is a stiff dose of perspective.

I have so much to be grateful for at the beginning of 2005. Aunty was still with us, with every indication that situation would not change for the immediate future. Arnold and I had just spent a joyous week with those closest to us. Our delightful and lively Pug Rosco continued to bring loyalty and laughter, and our warm home was a cozy and loving place where we share our blessed lives. Compared to what I was watching on the television, I led the most trouble free and fortunate existence one could ever have the right to hope for.

Much love to all of you,
Michael