A Time to Eat, A Time to Sleep
This week was Lazy Week.
I found myself in my parents' hometown of Lakewood, NJ in between two New York bar mitzvahs, with our two youngest kids and our dogs. The goals: a. avoid driving back and forth twice in one week, not because we've never done crazy things like that, but because I wasn't in the mood to be crazy, and b. rest and relax a little at my parents'.
Well, I'm a "tov" (for those of you JWRP gals!) which means I get most of my energy and satisfaction in life from getting things accomplished. So I quickly filled up two of my "vacay" days with speaking engagements in Teaneck and Philadephia, including spending the day with my kiddo in Philly at Independence Hall - that was very cool. I was, to be perfectly frank, a bit anxious about all the down time on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Now for those of you who are not "tov"s, you are probably bugging your eyes out right now and wondering if my brain is properly installed in my head. But it's true. Too much down time feels bad to me.
And the other issue is, Lakewood, NJ, after Israel, has THE BEST KOSHER FOOD ON THE PLANET. So far I've eaten tuna melts, donuts, ice cream, pizza, chicken tempura, penne a la vodka, eggplant parmigiana, veggie lasagna, salmon pinwheels, and for dessert, chocolate chip cookies a la mode.
Not all in the same meal.
So here I am doing things I rarely do, like eat a ton with no guilt, sleep gloriously late, take long walks in the middle of the day, lunch with my sisters, and chill. And loving it!
King Solomon said it best. "For everything there is a time... beneath the heavens." There's a time to eat, and a time to refrain from eating. A time to be lazy, and a time for ambition. A time for long walks, and a time for short ones. The character trait of the Sefirah that we're working on now, for those of you who are following the 7-week program between Passover and Shavuot, is that of "Tiferet - Harmony." Harmony, the kabbalists teach us, is about balance. About embracing that every aspect of our lives has some value, some benefit, has its time and its season.
And you know what? I'm still full.
Cheers!
Shabbat Shalom
Ruchi Koval
