So when I turned “65,” 6 years ago we celebrated at The Kotel in Israel. 

We contacted the “Women at The Wall” and created a rite of passage. I raised my hand to G-d, all the time holding onto the wall. I was shrouded in my husband’s tallit, I felt embraced.

Social security, Medicare with AARP F drug plan (no not that kind)- lactaid free cocktails, carpal tunnel procedures, medical tests you can’t pronounce; blah, blah, blah. Concurrently, however we brought back the supplemental bag of the real stuff that comes along with age appropriate hearing loss (really?)- whatever that means. 

Longer periods of peace of mind on the top of the list. Recognizing “what” really matters and “who” doesn’t. Bye Felicia. 

 Fast forward as we stand at the door of 2024 and shed one more increment of  PTSD from the Pandemic. Not so long gone.

It was during those long days when we Binge watched yes, The Sopranos from Jan. 10th-1999 and paid close attention to the sign that says “only take your masks off while eating.” Ok, back to Israel. Jumping around counters, I know. 

During our visit we met up with a high school buddy (Jon Kuritsky) for those in the know and his wife Diana. They live in a beautiful village on the Mediterranean several hours north of Tel Aviv called Shavei Zion. It is in between Acco and Nahariya. They do many varied and wonderful things with their lives. She’s a writer, he tows their land and they operate an inn/spa called NEA. Their family is their Life. 

We learned about a part of life or in fact death we never knew about before. Diana and Jon, pay it forward in a meritorious way. They are part of an organization of spiritual people who are known as Chevra Kadisha. Their responsibilities are to prepare the dead before burial according to Jewish tradition. 

At first we thought how morbid, how scary. With more understanding we learned that someone chooses to do so as the religious experience of being the last person to see the dead. We came to see it differently. Our hats goes off to them, as it would not even be within the realm of possibility for us to ever consider. Diana introduced me to not just any soap that they use. We bought it at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. It is multi-purposed and so many bars and years later we still use it. Our charitable “paying it forward” has a much different tone to it. My take away is that symbolically the soap is a form of cleansing the body and mind. 

So today we will go to grateful, all the while trying hard not to fall, as we walk into the New Year. We buy lite mayo and thinks it tastes fine, opt not to have a second Stoli at dinner knowing that we signed up for an 8:30 Pilates class.  Have a warm and welcoming weekend.