Wow, we’ve turned the third corner!
Busy week. On Sunday, I ran errands, and had a classmate’s wedding(!) which I attended briefly because I also gave my JTTS class that evening. Though I was at the wedding for just the kabbolas panim, I met another classmate who I had not seen in over ten years and it was surprisingly meaningful and nice to catch up. I definitely can feel self-conscious about my singleness around married former classmates (the ones I’m not in touch with on a regular basis), but in this case that did not come up. This classmate and I used to be fairly close friends but life just kind of got in the way and we didn’t stay in touch. But now that we’ve reconnected, we are in talks about having lunch together and I have to say, I am really looking forward! There was something moving to me about seeing myself through her eyes, like she knows who I am — who I was before all these years started to define me in our world — which is who I still am. I keep thinking about that encounter.
Monday, Taanis Esther. I (somewhat annoyingly) had to be in the city for a meeting. I went to a later megillah in the evening after I got home and broke my fast. (I am definitely getting older — I only like to go to quiet megillah readings.)
Purim was quite pleasant. I delivered a few shalach manos — my father drove me around which was incredibly helpful as I don’t like to drive on the best of days and especially not on Purim. A few friends came by as well. My parents went away for the rest of the day and I had my quiet seudah with a friend, early. And then I got an early night because I had (of all things) a dentist appointment early Wednesday morning.
I’m reading a bit of this and a bit of that — last Shabbos, I reread Queen Zixi of Ix, by L. Frank Baum, a book I got as a gift when I was about 8 or 9. I barely remembered it, and I loved it! This inspired me to start rereading the Oz books. A few years ago, I reread The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, so I will pick up with The Marvelous Land of Oz this Shabbos be”H. I’m also finishing up The Psychology of Money, a previous book by Morgan Housel.
I hope you have a restful, relaxing Shabbos, with something good to read yourself!
(Photo credit: Lorete M/Pexels)
