PANDEMIC DIARY
THANKSGIVING
November 24, 2021
To all my friends and readers, I share with you a wish for consciousness, empathy, peace, sanity, wisdom and love. May light overcome darkness. May the desire to give of yourself become a greater measure of our human essence than the desire to own, possess, accumulate, cherish or display. May the only god be the multitude of possibilities and opportunities for all humankind. May we hold on to naught beliefs, neither in any way limit ourselves, constrain or constrict or contract our enormity of spirit. May the density to which we were born loosen its death grip; and, may negativity be freely transformed to expansive energy…which is love and laughter. Importantly, know that who you are, realizing your own personal nature as your birthright, is enough…and a contribution to the world of magnitudes.
And, friendships? Friendships. Adele and I attended a wedding in New York. Sitting at the honored ‘family table’, I listened to tales of trial, separation, disparagement, resentment, accusation, blame, finger pointing and shaming. A panoply of pain. A circus of sarcasm, snideness and excuses. Families…what can we do? We are manor born. But, just as the vegetable soup of cynicism was about to vomit out of me, off we went to our friends homes. Greeted with such shared love and affection, these are the people to whom my heart is dedicated, so appreciative am I that we are equally available to caring in the present and all that may befall us with the passing of time.
It is not a secret that life is a journey. Every mythology has some analog journey associated with a passage. We journey to gain knowledge of ourselves and our surroundings. We journey to learn about and appreciate that the stories may differ but at their core is a common desire to make sense of our presence here on this Earth, only to discover that meaning resides in the moment. Nothing else. So, to surround ourselves with the faces of friends and dear ones is to give meaning to the moment.
That is what I wish for you on this Thanksgiving. Spend your time with the abundance of warmth, the tenderness of being close, the fullness of love, the joy of laughter and the preciousness of friendship.
These are some of the faces of friendship in random order. [If you are not included it is simply due to the fact that your picture may not be on my iPhone]
The absolute salt of the earth. No one finer. Marsha.
How time flies. I worked with Ron forty years ago. Each time we meet its like yesterday.
There is Karen. X-roommate. Hardly separable. The two of them just floating along.
Friends ever since our kids were born three days apart, Barbara and Michael.
Adele’s goodest buddy from way back in High School, Esther.
My brother’s wife, Nawal. So gracious and giving and funny.
So close to our hearts, Karen and Craig.
My brother’s son and wife, Hatim and Hadil during their visit to North Carolina all the way from Daliyat al Karmel, Israel.
Our dear friends, Lily and Howard. The universe had to have us meet.
My oldest buddies from grade school. That’s Robert in the center, and Bruce to the right.
Our neighbor and charmed friend, Bruce.
Our friends and co-Havurah members Stanley and Marion during our extraordinary trip to the Loire Valley - Chateau Chinon in background.
Aya. We are the adopted aunt and uncle of this young lady.
My brother, Emad (right) and his friend Abu Safi - Daliyat al Karmel, Israel
The turret of The Gaudi Cathedral - Barcelona. A great trip for the both Alex and I.
Abu Rafik - Daliyat al Karmel, Israel. Died from Covid this past Spring. He will be missed. That smile!
All we seem to do is laugh…and eat. Frank and Carol.
The look of contentment. My brother Emad’s sister.
Dearest Yasmin who flew here from Daliyat al Karmel on her own to spend the holiday season with her aunt and uncle.
Alex introduced us to his friends (and brothers) and brothers who have allowed us into their lives. Marc (left). Stefan (right)
It all would not be possible without the extraordinary and loving courage of Adele.
DO NOT WAIT. Make friends of yourself as soon as possible…
…in all forms of truthful expression.