The Rabbi's Ramblings:
This week I spent a day in New York at a conference together with 20 other rabbis from around the USA. My cell phone battery had died so I borrowed a phone from a rabbi from St. Louis that I know through a mutual friend. This young rabbi is a very special person. Yes, he has done great work in the St. Louis region... But, the most amazing thing about him is his disposition, he always has a smile on his face and a good word for everyone. You would never know that his 6-year-old son has been suffering from a terminal illness, and has been in and out of the hospital for the last three years.
Back to the cell phone: Being that I just wanted to check my messages during a quick break, and being the multi-tasker that I am, I took his phone into a certain room, and, yes, his phone slipped out of my hand and fell into a certain bowl! Bear in mind that this Blackberry is his lifeline (phone, email, calendar, etc.) while he's away from home for the next 24 hours.
His reaction when I broke the news to him slowly? With a big, friendly smile he reassured me that it's totally fine... it can happen to anyone... "I'll just take care of it when I get home... it's no big deal..."
That type of reaction comes from a life dedicated to Chessed and Mussar, of putting other people's feelings before one's own. What a powerful lesson to take back to Cleveland with me: those little (and sometimes big) things that tend to get us so upset... they're just that: things. Don't lose focus of what's really important in life, and you'll alway's be smiling! :)
