Wellness Pondering the Pre-Planning

Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

That’s Judaism for you. You’re not even done with Purim – wait, I take that back, I mean – winter vacation – and already the parsha is bringing up matzah, marror, and the holiday of Pesach.

You know how kids are home from camp for like two minutes and already you’re receiving messages to apply for the next summer ?! Seriously, don’t we get to breathe? Maybe relax for a day or two?

Well, that’s similar to how we feel the pressure, immediately at the end of Sukkos, of trying to decide where to go and what to do to for Pesach! Do you stay home, go to a hotel on a program (which needs to be signed up for yesterday or you are closed out), or go off to Israel? Maybe you want to rent a villa somewhere exotic. But that means you have to decide if you want to cook or if you need a cook – and you have to decide real fast. Right from the minute the last decoration gets taken down from the sukkah hut, the next big family holiday starts consuming us.

Of course, this is broken up by the integral and pressing decision of which Sunday to make your Chanukah party! And what to serve? Latkes or laffas? Doughnuts or cronuts? Chinese or cheese? Barbecue or bagels?

And let’s not forget the drama that pops up immediately around which married family members will be coming for Pesach. Will they join us, or will they be going to them? Are they coming for the whole holiday or just for a part? How many kids will be saying the Mah Nishtana? And what about afikomen presents?

Decisions!

So, who needs the parsha bringing up right now, the shopping list and other requirements for April? Are we going out shopping for this stuff tomorrow?! But, like I said, that’s Judaism for you! There may be a rhyme and reason for it, but we’re not always privy to it easily.

You can certainly opt to spend students ideals to prepare them for a life of value. time figuring it out; you can just add that into the other stuff you’re busy with. Or you can trust that there’s a good reason to start us thinking way ahead about what’s important to us. The message may be that planning ahead is always important! After all, no one ever likes to be passed over!