Humpty Trumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Trumpty had a windfall

Alexander Hamilton was constitutionally correct

A thud like Donald he’d never expect

Through tweeting and twitching he drove his point across

The United States of America, well yeah, we want a divorce

From this wild man of loose tongue

We will run and we’ll hide

Putting aside every ounce of our pride

We scream can this be happening at noon Jan.20

This is alarmingly serious in the absence of funny.

We confess we accept, this fate to be had

Our four years ahead portend to be bad

We’ll listen very closely and circumspect when need be

By the dawns early light, O say can you see!

Dear G-d

On this day we get it. You do your share and you move on to the next person who needs your advice. You are the karma, the beshart and the wind beneath our wings. Not so corny. You help to point us in the direction of our next classroom.

We hold on to the lessons and hope they stick. The people in our path who cheat, lie and are deceptive are there for us to help understand wrong from right. The benevolent, kind and selfless are the lessons for good values. One of your long term themes. You give us cause to develop tolerance levels. Our gut is really our mind speaking through our heart. When we are pushed to the limit in our values you leave us with the decision to hold tight or compromise and restructure. When we slip up and waiver you are looking over your shoulder sometimes dropping feathers, sea shells,  pennies, dimes in our path to reel us back in.

There are days we wonder when it’s our turn again for you to come back our way. It’s then when the hard work comes in, we walk alone.

And so we wake up early, turn on the coffee and begin the week of the “Days of Judgement.”We will wait for the feathers, leave our “judgements” in the recycle bins and know, as long as we work together our backs will be covered. One life to live.  Gmar Chatima Tova.

Dear 5779,

Maybe this time we’ll win. We make the promises, we pump up the expectations and we pass the in winter only Mallomars at the supermarket.

“When a child loves you for a long time, not just to play with but REALLY loves you, you become Real. Does it hurt?” Asked the Rabbit. “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.

A favorite quote from a most favorite children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit or (How Toys Become Real) by Margery Williams. 

So once again we try to brush away the flies in our picnic of life. Sadness only takes away riches. We know for certain laughter, especially when it involves the belly, adds life to your years. Norman Lear, who is still going strong at 96 years young, believes as he was moving on up to the East Side with Maude, Archie and Sandford’s son that the “Good Times” even if it’s “One Day at a Time,” add years to your life. 

I know run on sentence counters, relax that is it. 

This year while reading the New York Times obits (MYOB) I came across one that shouted out loud. 

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara a Japanese physician was listed. He lived until 105. He cautioned against gluttony and early retirement and vigorously championed annual medical checkups, climbing stairs regularly and just having fun. 

So as we -At A Glance- our 5779 weekly appointment books let’s replace  “wishful drinking” with “wishful thinking.” We are about to celebrate two grandsons becoming Bar Mitzvahs in the next few months. We will beam as they take their place on the bema. As we kvell, shep nachas and shed a bunch of tears we’ll then know “what we came for.” Oh and by the way,  hello American Express, that charge was a real purchase. Yes, I bought the whole store. Uh huh, yep the whole store. It’s the store where I bought the Basket, the one I put all my eggs in. Eight yes. I wish this on everyone. Alevi.

Apples, Honey and the test of time. לעולם בזמן הנכון- loosely translated “there is no good time to hear bad news.” The Rabbi’s sermon last eve struck a particular cord as we struggle to make any sense of the collection of tragedies we have suffered as a nation this past year.

L’shana tova tikatevu. The book of life was sealed on September 30,2017 and the very next day Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers.  58 people were slaughtered, he was found dead in his Mandalay Bay hotel room from a self inflicted gunshot wound. Motive unknown. How often do we hear, surrounding a tragedy “motive unknown?” There are cries for help from severely disturbed individuals through social media that we tune into after the fact. What behavoirs are we missing on a daily basis from our immediate population that we overlook, minimize and chalk up to “oh they are having a bad day.” As we begin a New Year become your own community. Be a better signal listener. Put down your electronics while passing the bread basket around your table and live in someone else’s moment. Easier said. And yes dear Rabbi,”it’s never a good time to hear bad news.” Perhaps for today and tomorrow make hopscotch leaps toward really hearing cries for help when your friend tells they are hurting. Dip the apple in the honey from the same jar that has been in your closet for years and sweeten up your friendships by really hearing what they aren’t saying. One day at a time!