Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Dovid's Moon

Yom revi'i, 15 Tevet 5771.

Last night began my son's birthday.  It's a fairly ordinary day in December, if it doesn't happen to be your own birthday.  But it's a remarkable morning in the Jewish month of Tevet here in the southern foothills of Jerusalem.

I awakened at 6:13 to get Sports Guy out of bed for school.  (No mean feat, as he spends far too much time immersed in the brutality of football to get a good night's sleep.  I know, I know...  You try being the parent of a 16-year-old gridiron geek.)

Cup of steaming coffee in hand, I walked outside to appreciate the view.  It's always lovely here.  But today felt like a special miracle, a love-note from Hashem.  The full moon was still out, which always reminds me of a sweet children's song we used to sing in Brownies, all of our faces so serious, wanting not to drop our places in the round:

Mister Moon, Mister Moon, you're out too soon.
The sun is still in the sky.
Go back to your bed and cover up your head,
and wait till the day goes by.

This moon was so very bright, so well-defined.  I thought of my newly-minted 21-year-old, working in the fields in Beit Shean, loving the land and its produce and the Land and her people more and more each day.  He's probably awake, getting ready for his day in the fields, I was thinking.  I wonder if he can see this moon where he is?

My sister's daughter just had a son, and she wrote about the joy of small miracles:

The most holy and sacred gifts of this life, for me, are the most ordinary. The baby was simply born. Today, like every day, simply came. I am grateful for the abundance of miraculous, ordinary moments.

Exactly.

Here's to some of the recent "miraculous, ordinary moments."

Some of the children I love, who don't belong to me, and their children.
One of my very own little miracles: he looks just like his dad did, way back when.
Another one of my little miracles, who looks a lot like her Savta did, but with her mama's amazing eyes. Photo credit: KF Productions
And here's to all of your recent miracles, as well.  Please feel free to share.  There can never be too much gratitude for all the gifts He gives us.

10 comments:

baruchbruce said...

nice to have you share this before i go learn.Mazel tov to all the world.

Shalomis said...

Happy Birthday, Dovid dear! May Hashem fill you with his wisdom and understanding and lead you in the way of Eternity. I love you and am very proud of you.

Thanks for the exquisite post, Ruth. You put me right there with you. Can't wait to really be there with you!
Love,
Tanta Shalomis
P.S. Tell the Hawaiian shirted-one that I'm pedaling as fast as I can and will see y'all soon.

sparrow said...

I think your Dovid and I share the same birthday, the 22nd. Mazel tov to him on his special day. I have spent my day nursing a sick animal:-(

Ami said...

big :)

אהבתי

Michelle said...

Thank you so much! This was perfect timing, as today is the first birthday of my little miracle :-)

Leora said...

The moon is beautiful, the babies are beautiful, and my 16 year old just watches football and still needs (prefers?) tons and tons and tons of sleep.

David Eastman said...

Thank you for the Blogpost! And apparently the moon as well. It is beautiful up here especially as the just as the sun rays start to pour over the horizon. Thankfully ordinary miracles fill my life right now and so sadly I start to become a little used to them. But your blog, as it has done many times, woke me up. I didn't see the moon today, but thank you for reminding me that as I stubble to Shachrit at 5:20 in the morning, to open my eyes to the early moring works of G-d.

bataliyah said...

How weird is that?! I also blogged about miracles today and then I read what you wrote. Coincidence? I think not!

rutimizrachi said...

Baruch: Thank you!

Shalomis: Dovid appreciated your brachot, Tante S. We look forward to seeing you!

Sparrow: I hope you had a great birthday, dear lady. Refua shelaima to your dear cat.

Ami: Todah!

Michelle & Yoni: Another miracle! Happy birthday to our dear little friend.

Leora: Glad we understand each other. :-)

EW: Thank you for your kind words. Comments like that keep me writing.

Bataliyah: How cool is THAT!

westbankmama said...

Ruti - I am also up at 6:15 every morning, also sweet talking my youngest son into getting up for school. I will think of you when I see the sun rise out of the window through my yawns.