Do we see and hear when people are hurting?
Do we pay attention or look away?
Do we even care?
Do we do anything about it?
As queen Marie-Antoinette said when told that her people were starving and had no bread, what did she say?
Let them eat cake!
Pray that we are better than that. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Saw this on a bus in Florida.
It’s an important message.
Take Action. Stop Child Abuse.
Children are innocent!
The adults who commit the abuse and trafficking are animals.
If you see something, say something to the authorities.
You may just be saving a child’s life.
Protect our children…they are our future. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
I like this definition of family:
Family means NOBODY gets left behind.
We take care of each other.
No matter what.
My father used to say:
Blood is thicker than water.
It’s not just from the battlefield that we make sure to bring everyone home.
Home is where the heart is. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Happy Mother’s Day to my dear, beautiful, and special mom!
Even though it’s been 6 years since you passed over to Heaven, I can still see you here with me today.
The love and caring you showed for me, my sister, and Dad as well as the grandchildren filled all of our lives.
You always worked hard for the family and to do your best.
Life was not always easy especially coming with your parents from the Holocaust.
Yet, I never doubted for a moment that our family was the world for you.
And both you and Dad still mean the world to me and I know you both are with me always.
I can feel it!
Happy Mother’s Day–we love you! 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
This is absolutely what I call:
Hope Amidst Coronavirus.
Life is hope.
The children are our future.
Love and caring is our continuity.
G-d’s is the Master over it all. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, “Why The Happiness of Purim?“
In a world that is constructed of the story of Purim, everything looks like it’s based on mere happenstance and there seems to be no G-d involved—this is a world of randomness and meaninglessness. Whatever happens, just happens by nature or luck, and what can be more meaningless and depressing than that! Thus, the Rabbis had to decree all the laws for the happiness of Purim, because happiness is not innate to a story that is seemingly happenstance and devoid of G-d. That is the big difference between Purim, where Hashem is hidden, and Passover or Hanukah, where Hashem revealed Himself and made incredible miracles—the 10 plagues and the splitting of the Red Sea or the one day of oil that lasted for eight days.
On Purim, we celebrate our deliverance from the evil Haman and the king’s decree to kill all the Jews, but also we are overflowing with Joy remembering that G-d is always with us—in good times and G-d forbid in the bad times–we are not afraid of anything (another indecisive election, the stock market downturn, our enemies, Coronavirus, etc.) knowing that He loves us and cares for us, and will deliver us in the old days and in the new. May the final deliverance soon be completed with the arrival of the Mashiach—and the hidden will become revealed like on Purim and the joy will be forever increased. Amen.
So I had to drive into downtown Washington D.C.
Along the way, I saw this colorful artistic rooster.
I appreciate this quick pick-me-up from this.
Yet, all around the streets were homeless people.
One was literally collapsed on a narrow island between the opposing lanes of traffic.
Some horrible-looking food, rags of clothes, and two bottles of liquor lay next to him and one of his arm hang almost into the moving traffic.
This was just one of many that I saw in abject poverty and desperation.
So I really feel conflicted looking at this colorful rooster.
What good is it when the people are homeless, sick, and starving? 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Thought this was a pretty good display with the Three Bears for holiday donations for Children’s National Hospital.
While it gets your attention (who sees three pink bears lite up on the street at night?), asking people with a small impersonal sign on the floor to remember to login and make the donation later isn’t very effective.
People act on the spot, especially when it’s an emotional appeal for charity for sick children that need help.
The children deserve for there to be a way for would be donors to actually give on the spot–where they can swipe or tap their credit card, write a check, or drop some money in for giving.
Later, later, later…and unfortunately, it may never happen for the Children.
Come on–it’s the new roaring 2020s–we can create some urgency and convenience and do better than this! 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So I hurt my back last week.
Incredibly painful.
Difficult getting up from sitting or laying position.
Today, I was trying to walk it off a little.
One of my kids was walking with me taking good care of me.
We ran into a neighbor.
She was nice and asked about what happened.
I told her in brief and said how grateful I was for my daughter taking me for a little walk while I try to heal with G-d’s help.
She smiled and said how lucky I was (which I acknowledged).
I asked if she had any kids, thinking that she did.
But she goes to me:
I have no one!
I was a little surprised that she didn’t have anyone and how she said it.
I sort of repeated it quizzically.
She goes:
Well I did have a cat but she was 19 years old and I had to put her down.
I felt really bad for her, especially since I know she had an operation this last year and is planned for another one coming up.
I said that we’re her neighbors and friends and that she can call on us whenever she needs someone.
This whole thing just made me so upset–no one should be so alone.
I really pray that G-d has mercy on his children and that no one should be alone and that we should all have caring and loving people around us always. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So I heard this interesting saying yesterday, which goes like this:
Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother that is far off.
I looked it up and saw that it is actually from Proverbs 27:10.
Thinking about it a little, I understand that obviously people that are close by can more easily be there and help one another than someone else who is far away.
At the same time, I always learned growing up that:
Blood is thicker than water.
Family is family, and friends are friends. Family is forever, but friends can come and go.
Yet you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.
There are some friends that go back decades to childhood and they are almost like family.
Also, there are sometimes family that are disassociated or even “black sheep” of the family.
I guess in the end what’s most important is how we feel about each other, treat each other, and are there for each other.
Whatever the designation–family or friends–we need each other. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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