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Mitzvahmoon

Last week we took a Mitzvahmoon.  It’s okay if you don’t know what a Mitzvahmoon is.  I Googled it and couldn’t find it, but the ChickieNob informed me that just because no one else has done it yet, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t a very good idea.

I’ll attest to that: It turned out to be a very good idea.

We have been knee-deep in prepping for their B’nai Mitzvah, and we had a bunch of things we needed to write.  They both needed to work on their d’var Torah (a speech about their Torah portion), Josh and I needed to work on our speeches, and we had a bunch of quatrains to write for a candle lighting ceremony.  The ChickieNob suggested that we all go to the beach and take the weekend away from home to write without distraction and relax at the same time.  Sort of like a honeymoon or a babymoon but with an emphasis on the productivity side with the relaxation mixed in.

So we drove to the beach.

It was exactly what we needed.  We ended up doing a lot of the writing beforehand at home because we wanted to do more relaxing, so we got the work accomplished.  The beach was mostly empty because the waves were rough and it was the off-season.  But that just made us love it more.  It was sunny and quiet; and we all read and took breaks to write the quatrains while on the sand.  We ate ice cream at night and watched Guardians of the Galaxy 2 back in our hotel room.  I think we all left recharged so we could power through the rest of what needs to get done.

*******

But there was a moment in the weekend.  We drove into town after 8 o’clock, and it was dark as we made our way down the main street.  When we got near the pharmacy, we saw an elderly man had somehow driven his car over the six-inch high barrier that lined the parking lot.  His front wheels where over the barrier, but his back wheels were still in the lot, and he was stuck, revving his engine as he tried to go forward and get free.

Our car, stopped at the traffic light, was perpendicular to the front of his car.  If he went forward, he would smash into my door.

The man was clearly panicked and confused.  His windshield wipers were moving at high speed even though there was no rain.  We light changed and we crossed the intersection to get to the pizza place so we could call the non-emergency police from the counter and they could come and help him.  We never found out what happened to him, though his car was gone by the time we drove past the area again a half hour later.

I don’t know why this story is noteworthy except that, at the time, I saw it as a portentous sign that our Mitzvahmoon was a doomed idea.  That we got over the first hump but would ultimately get stuck.

It’s nice to be proven wrong by the universe.  Sometimes an elderly man driving over a barrier is just an elderly man driving over a barrier.

6 comments

1 Lori Lavender Luz { 09.26.17 at 9:16 am }

What a great idea, a mitzvahmoon. I’m glad you all got recharged.

Kinda scary that this disoriented man was aimed at you and revving his engine. I can see why that scene stuck with you. I hope he ended up ok.

Good luck to you and the twins as you head into the homestretch of their mitzvahs.

2 Journeywoman { 09.26.17 at 9:50 am }

Wonderful idea. We did this while planning for our wedding so we could get away and remember WHY we were getting married. It was amazing. When it is time for my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, we will do the same.

3 Cristy { 09.26.17 at 10:09 am }

I think this was a wonderful idea! Glad you went.

Been reflecting on the elderly man on the barrier story. And actually, I had a different take. The elderly man symbolized where you guys were at prior to the Mitzahmoon. Overwhelmed and maybe spinning your wheels. It’s when help comes, be it external or through self-care, that you can clear the barrier and things are resolved. Which is what you all did.

4 Mali { 09.26.17 at 6:38 pm }

How lovely. ChickieNob is clearly on to something!

And yes, it is very nice to be proved wrong by the universe. That happened to me recently, and I am grateful for it.

5 Turia { 09.27.17 at 7:32 am }

Great idea! I love that the promise of the weekend away to work spurred you all into being more productive so you didn’t have to work as much. Great motivating factor!

6 loribeth { 10.08.17 at 12:42 pm }

This reminded me of my great-aunt who sometimes used to spend U.S. Thanksgiving at Cannon Beach, Oregon… she would bring along, set up & decorate a small artificial Christmas tree & get started on writing her Christmas cards while they were there. 🙂 When is the big day?

(c) 2006 Melissa S. Ford
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