As a child, the drive from our place in Teaneck, New Jersey, to my grandparents in Providence, Rhode Island, could become quite tedious for my parents. As we entered the city limits of Providence, my parents would tell us to be on the look-out for "The Castle," because it meant that our trip would soon come to an end and that we had arrived more or less. (In fact, the bit of The Castle that we could spot from the highway was the dome of the State House.)
I can appreciate both the memory and the tactic, now that I am myself a mother of a toddler who finds car rides of more than ten minutes to be torture. We drove yesterday to visit Savta Shira for Shabbat, for my birthday weekend, and to entice Raphaela to sit nicely in the car seat, I reminded her that she has to be on the look-out for "our Mountain, Herodion." Raphaela believes that Herodion is our special private mountain, because it belongs to Savta Shira's house; it also marks the end of our travel time.
The weekend itself was wonderful, and welcome break from our normal Shabbat routine. I bless Savta Shira's family every day for giving me and Raphaela a sense of belonging, a home in which we feel welcome and loved. Some family you inherit as soon as you are born, some adopt you, and thank G-d for both.
1 comment:
Lovely post. I remember us children looking out for the sea on trips to Grandma and Grandpa. "I can see the sea!" holds special memories.
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