Guest Rambler, Robert Rosenthal
Late to the Party
I heard a wonderful Commencement Speech a few weeks ago by a man named Mitch Luxenburg.
His son was graduating which made it all the more special. Most commencement speeches are flowery talks about the future: the world is yours, you are the future, etc.
Mitch took a decidedly different approach.
He talked about life and how it is never perfect, but more about the ups and downs we all face.
His life was a real microcosm. He went to Beachwood to conquer the world - which didn’t work out too well. He got married and started a charmed life with the woman of his dreams, and had four great kids. Then, just as things were absolutely fantastic, his wife got sick. She battled cancer for two long years and then passed away.
His life had changed. He had two toddlers and two young children whom he now had to raise on his own. What he spoke about next was truly amazing.
He talked about how small decisions can have big impacts - everything is part of Hashem’s plan. Not quite how he worded it, but this is the reality.
He recounted the story about struggling to get his life in order and how he made the decision to move to Richmond Heights. But as he was finishing up the closing documents on his house, he made a technical error. The deal did not close... he lost the house.
A few days later a wonderful opportunity came his way and he was able to buy a home in Beachwood. As he was watching a basketball game this past winter (Beachwood vs. Richmond Heights), he realized that the people across the way would have been his friends; his son would’ve been graduating that day with those kids at Richmond Heights.
Mitch feels that living in Beachwood was the perfect fit for his family. In good times and in challenging times, his Beachwood friends and neighbors were able to provide the support that he and his family needed. He also served for eight years as School Board President of Beachwood and did an amazing job. ALL BECAUSE A DOCUMENT WAS NOT FILLED OUT PROPERLY. Such a seemingly small thing had had such a profound impact on his life.
I too have a story like this - a moment that changed my life.
I was at my nephew's bris. It started about an hour late because someone was late to arrive. Same old story. Well, in that hour, I met somebody. We just hit it off. We connected. We had an amazing conversation.
Later I was invited out for coffee. Soon after that I became part of his community. That was my moment. Because that someone was Rabbi Koval. That’s just what happened.
G-d felt that this was what was important for me. And because someone was late that day, my life is now enriched every single day, as I am part of a daily conference call with the guys that I consider my closest friends. Because someone was an hour late I spent seven life-changing days with them in Israel. And Shabbat, and Saturday minyan.
All because someone looked in the mirror and decided that they would change their outfit and come late to a bris.
I do get frustrated at times because we are perpetually late - but from now on I'm going to think about why being late is not such a bad thing - and just smile.
Shabbat shalom,
Robert
