This is one of the wasband's favorite comic strips:
This weekend started awfully: just another case of the wasband pulling out the worst in me. End of story, I was without the boys for shabbos, feeling cheated and disgusted and all kinds sorry for myself. As I came home Friday afternoon, I have a flash of how many things the wasband DID NOT manage to take away from me.
This was like suddenly understanding the expression "to find yourself." I would imagine most teenagers have very little understanding of this idea, though they are told that this is a possible benefit of college or the postponement of college for several years. So too, one is advised to think about all the things wasbands [cancer/ financial crises/ adversaries in general] cannot take away from one. (I'm reading "The Uncommon Reader", and it makes me want to use the pronoun "one".)
Shall I give an abbreviated list? Okay, these are some things that are actually on the upswing since last summer:
- Shul attendance
- Lovely shabbatot in general
- Connections with friends
- Connections with family
- Exercise/ frolicking with the little guys
- Desire to get out of bed most mornings (well, I think it is most. not this morning, but most mornings)
I feel that I have to say, he DID take away a whole lot, not even considering the material items. I can't get beyond that wall of awful. But occasionally I can turn my gaze to the other direction.
Here's a twofer - An ironic list of annoying things the wasband used to that I have found myself doing this year:
- Going to the library multiple times per week, borrowing up to the limit
- Keeping Granola bars in the car for kiddie snacks
- Using minty liquid soap in the shower (mine is a nicer brand though)
- Taking kids out to do "stuff" in the evenings
- Shopping at pricier grocery stores (but I don't enjoy this, it's just that along with the pricier neighborhood comes the pricier stores)
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