Don't cling to the pain

I picked up a copy of Glenn Beck's book, "The Christmas Sweater" and have to say that I raced through the book in record time.
The story of hope, disappointment and redemption speaks to anyone who has bumped through the rough spots in life, and held a bit too tightly to pain of let downs and loss. There were some moments when I had to dab my eyes.

I have been very fortunate in that I have not suffered devastating losses in my circle of immediate family. That is not to say that other challenges have been lacking. No one gets through life that easily.
For some reason, we as human beings seem to cling to our pain like a kind of trophy that entitles us to feel sorry for ourselves. At least I do.

Looking at life with a positive point of view is a daily challenge for me. Bitterness is a poor way to fill your vessel of life because it is so corrosive. Even if you have earned the right to be bitter, what is the benefit? Does it make you more lovable? Do you enjoy life more? Is there a prize somewhere given to the most bitter person or the best victim? Would you even want it?

Let go of the painful past. Let G-d help you if you cannot do it alone.

Grandma's Choice

On the wall of her apartment is a picture of a WWI doughboy with a horse. It is a really old picture, one that we would certainly purchase at auction if it came up, thinking that the soldier in it is long forgotten. When you ask the red haired woman who resides here about the picture, she will happily tell you that it is her brother, Rick. If you are lucky, you might learn from her that the whole family was distraught for six months, thinking that he was dead, gone down with the ship he was on as it steamed its way to Europe. Turns out that he was mailing a letter and literally missed the boat.

She remembers a lot of history. The great depression and world war two are not history book events to her, but current events, just from earlier in her life. She has worked in factories, raised her children, helped with her grandchildren, great grand children and even great great grandchildren, survived divorce, death of uncounted loved ones, and many of her contemporaries.

The Cold War came and ended in her adult memory. Seventeen men have held the office of the president during her life. She has seen the good, the bad and the ugly.

Family members wondered about how she would vote during this election season. The Democrats have always been able to count on her, but this year seemed different.

Her story has made the rounds through the family in the past week. She told her son, “Yes, I went to vote early, and I thought and thought, and decided that I had to vote for the democrat. I couldn’t vote for the communist.



“I voted for John McCain.”