11 Things – Names and Numbers

1. I turn 49 one month from today. (A "shmita" year, from the agricultural practice in Jewish tradition of letting the fields rest every seven years. I believe this is also the origin of sabbatical. Though I will not be taking a sabbatical – barring an unexpected windfall – perhaps it will be a year of integrating the experiences and learnings of this past decade.)

2. My mom, Peggy, turned 79 last week. (Feygele – little bird.)

3. My daughter, Aviva, is 20. (Neshama – breath, soul.) My son, Pearl, is 16. (Emet – truth.) 

4. My mom's mom, Celia, would be 111 if she were still alive. (Simma – treasure.)

5. My mom's sister, Nancy, died on SwissAir flight 111. (Nechama – comfort.)

6. It crashed into Peggy’s Cove on 9/2. (9+2 = 11.)

7. That was 1998. Nancy was 56. (5+6 = 11.)

8. I often think of the Hebrew expression "l'dor v'dor" – from generation to generation. (What links us?)

9. As I write this, I keep glancing up at the yard, a hotbed of chickadees, titmice, and other small birds by the feeders in the snow. (Resilience.)

10. Torah is full of names and numbers and lineages. (We are Torah.)

11. Makes me wonder if we are always immersed in meaning, whether we see it or not. (Mystery. Miracles.)