Three Things
A few months ago I took a poetry therapy workshop where we did a number of exercises based on various poems. We read the following excerpt from “In Blackwater Woods,” by Mary Oliver:
Bedtime
At one point a few years ago, I gave myself a “shidduchim bedtime.” I had to stop thinking about shidduchim, checking WhatsApp and email, and waiting to hear back from people by 10:45 PM (the end of the civilized evening). Otherwise I’d compulsively check my phone just one more time as I got ready for a shower, got ready for …
What We Talk About When We Talk About “Older Singles”
When we (as a community) talk about “older singles,” we talk about statistics and we talk about self-sabotage. And that is all we talk about. Whether there is any constructive purpose to these conversations is up for discussion. I’m not weighing in now, but I am saying that, at minimum, I don’t think this is all that the conversation …
Have a Good Yom Tov!
Hello, all. I had hoped to write up something nice for Shavuos but suddenly, here we are. So this is a link to a Shavuos packet from Partners in Torah. I love their “Y”T in 30 minutes” packets because they give such a thorough and clear review of everything we should know about the Y”T. Previous Shavuos posts on this blog …
50 Easy-Breezy Topics To Write About
Sometimes you have the itch to write to get something – niggling thoughts, nervous energy – out of your system. Here is a bank of topics for when you’re casting about for something fresh to write about. (Apparently I wrote this list about three years ago and haven’t read it since, and now I’m itching to work my way through …
A Good Marriage
Recently I listened to an episode of the Headlines podcast on “What makes a successful marriage?” Chani Juravel (at 39:00) shared four qualities she heard from Dr. David Pelcovitz that are important for a good marriage (a few readers have asked for posts on ways to develop yourself into the best you before marriage, and I hope this is helpful!). …
Single and Happy and Sad
My friend sent me a letter to the editor (“Far From Miserable”) that was written in response to the fish tank story in Mishpacha. It did not sit well with her and once I read it I felt the same. Before I continue I just want to emphasize that I don’t presume to speak for everyone who is single …
Studio Apartment
An itty bitty studio apartment is for sale(!) in my neighborhood and because I can technically afford to buy it on my own I am diving headlong into a daydream of buying it and making it mine. You may know by now that I have a fondness for little things, and a studio apartment is like the grown-up-in-the-city version of …
Bonfire
My neighbors made a little bonfire for their kids (technically on the 32nd day of the Omer as it was about 6 pm) and I joined with a bunch of neighbors roasting marshmallows around the fire. Later I read this article with my Partner in Torah about the significance of Lag B’Omer and bonfires. It’s a beautiful article and I …
Fishbowl
So the other night my friend asked me if I read “All the Fish in the Sea” by Rochel Samet (printed in the Pesach Calligraphy), and if so what were my thoughts. I did read it and I did have thoughts. Some lines resonated very much: “The problem with being single,” Meira says sagely, “is that no matter what …