I don’t want to go to work tomorrow. Even though that just means pouring myself a cup of coffee and walking down the hall so I can respond to some emails and attend a couple of conference calls. I just want some time to do nothing. We were supposed to return from Paris today and I originally asked for tomorrow off. I’ve long learned that taking that extra day between vacation and return to work is a necessity to make that transition, get the rest you need, and get your stuff in order. We didn’t go to Paris but I still want that day.
Tonight I watched my friend Jen make matzahs from scratch over Facebook. Unable to buy some at the market, she was forced to make her own - is there not a better Passover story for these days of COVID-19? I couldn’t help but think of all the Seders I’ve been to, from the neighborhood friends of my childhood, to grand multimedia spectaculars of the recent past (thank you Steve) it’s an honor and a privilege be included, to hear the story, to participate in the tradition so that it feels like one of my own, especially as a person of German heritage. There’s a shame I inherited with that, a dissonance in that my ancestry includes the oppressors. It’s a grim reminder that some of my privilege is gained in part through that legacy.
If nothing else, these times are a reminder of the cycles that exist well beyond our personal lives. That there will always be forces beyond our control, whether pandemic, natural disaster, or political upheaval - that can both bring us together or separate us. That these forces also reveal who we are and can define us. We struggle to be good sometimes to some presumed objective measure, but for me (and I suspect others) to be good to the people who mean the most to us, our friends and family who share our stories. I think that’s what strikes me about Passover, it includes sharing the story of both suffering and triumph, the shared struggle, and celebration. I’m an outsider to the story, but it still resonates with me. I am thankful to all of you to all who have shared your stories with me. May we continue to learn from them.
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