On Smokers

I have a coworker who smokes. She's also asthmatic. (No, she's not Jewish.) And every time I see her short of breath and in need of an inhaler, I wonder what she's doing to herself. My personal opinion is that people who smoke should not be given prescriptions for breathing treatment, but that won't be put into effect now. Perhaps with Obama's new healthcare plan, it may be. Then again, maybe not. After all, Obama smokes too.

Anyway, after coming to this conclusion, I realized that we're all guilty of the same thing. Maybe Hashem shouldn't allow people who do averos to do teshuva. After all, we got ourselves into this mess, why should we be given a prescription to save us now? But Hashem, in His ultimate kindness, gives us the key to return. Do we even realize what a big Chessed it is?

As Rabbi Yaakov Salomon says, it's definitely something to think about.

Have a Good One...

I took my little brothers to get slurpees the other day, and on the way out, we met my neighbors. After schmoozing for a few minutes (and telling them that we used up all the slurpees in the store, so they'll just have to buy lottery tickets insted), my neighbor said, "Have a good one!" My six-year-old brother looked at me and said, "What does 'have a good one' mean?"

Good question! It's become a phrase that's thrown around very casually. People used to say have a good morning, afternoon, evening, night, etc. Now, they just say have a good one. Why?

I think it's because we've become lazy. Why should we think about what time of day it is? The person we're talking to can figure it out! It's so much easier to say have a good one!

So, have a good one, everyone! (Year, I mean!)

Dressed to Kill...Who?

So I got myself new glasses and spent a lot of money on new clothes, so that I can look mature and in style. I thought I looked okay, and most importantly, I was comfortable. Well, my mother came home from the wedding and told me that a friend of hers said that I looked great, but if I get lenses and wear high heels, it would be even better.

Now, high heels give me blisters, and I'm not ready to commit to the amount of time that lenses take to take care of. Why can't I just be myself, and then I'll be able to marry someone who appreciates the real me?

We single girls need to dress to kill. Who are we killing here?

Faith-In Hard Times Too

Floating along, so calmly and peacefully,
Enjoying the wind in my face.
Yes, there are troubles, life ain't perfect,
But it's stuff I have no problem dealing with.
It's easy to say I have faith,
That the One Above wrote the script,
I feel like a child being taken care of,
By my Loving Father who wants only what's best for me.

Then, boom!
Something happens.
Something that makes me not able to fall asleep at night,
Something that makes me feel shaky all day.
Something that makes me stop and think,
Did that really happen to me?
To me, whom G-d loves so much,
And takes such good care of?

It's a lot harder to remember that He's still there for me,
That He still wants what's best for me.
It takes a lot more time to remind myself
That I didn't write the script.
And no, I didn't watch the practices for this play.
I just have to remember that all plays have happy endings.
Even if I don't know what it is yet.
The Director is right here in His office,
Watching to make sure all the parts are done right.
I may not know the ending in this world.
But someday, all the pieces will fall into place,
And I'll feel safe and secure once again.

Broken Home

A broken home, torn asunder,
Ripped apart, pillaged and plundered.
A mother and father, now separated,
What happened to the home that they created?
The children confused, where will they be living?
Their innate loyalty, to whom should be given?
When one parent says one thing, the other the reverse,
There's no easy answer, no "of course."
Confusion is common, with nowhere to go,
For listening to one will hurt the other so.


Does all of this sound very foreign to you?
It is, in reality, the life of every Jew.
There's our Father in Heaven, and the earth down below,
When there's temptation down here, which way do we go?
We all are so quick to judge and discuss,
Remember, though, this situation applies to all of us.

(in)Famous

Baruch Dayan Haemes - usually such a sad phrase,
Today I can say with the intent to truly praise.
For today, the lowest of the low,
Who raised himself up high,
Had a heart attack,
And waved this world goodbye.
Michael Jackson made himself a name,
Worked hard to build up his fame,
Adored by the whole American nation,
On the cover of every publication,
Looked like quite a sensation,
In truth, he was an abomination.

There is justice in this world, tis very plain to see,
Thank you, Hashem, for showing yourself to me.

I hate it when...

I hate it when the boy takes a few weeks to say yes, and when he finally does, the shadchan gives you three days to look into him.

I hate it when the boy takes two weeks to say no, and when asked why, he says that he doesn't give reasons.

I hate it when the boy says no based on information he got from other people, and won't give a reason for saying no.

I hate it when the boy makes you meet his mother and then says no, but won't tell you why, because the girl can't do anything about it anyway.

I hate it when the boy takes you out on two dates, keeping you out very late on the second one, and then says no without any prior warning.

I hate it when the boy...

You can fill in the blank.