What’s in your briefcase?

I’m not sure why but mom and I spent much of this week joking and laughing. Did you ever have one of those days where everything was just funny? We had several of those days so it was quite enjoyable.

Our week started on Sunday when one of the community Rebbetzins came over for a visit. We’ve been here a year (plus) and hadn’t met yet so it was really nice that she took the initiative to get in touch and offer to come to us. After she left, I battled with both our smart TV and mom’s laptop to try to try to get the Celebrate Israel parade livestream to work. I grew up going to that parade down Fifth Avenue every year (back when it was called Salute to Israel) and for the past two years watched it (first on TV in NY on MY9, then last year through the online live stream) but I couldn’t get it to work. I love watching, looking for friends and family and posting pictures of them when I find them online. I have successfully found my friend Avi and my brother Scott and nephew each year so I enjoy my version of where’s Waldo while also cheering for the local groups and appreciating the artistry of signs and banners and floats. Since I couldn’t watch live, I read a bit and napped. Of course now that I can see the recorded version, the cameras chose this year to not feature the group my family marches with, so sadly it breaks the streak of finding them. At night my friend Rivky came by briefly with her (new) husband; Rivky was in Pittsburgh for her own checkup (her double lung transplant was 5 years ago) and brought some stuff from my sister-in-law Estee.

Monday was very cool and not sunny, but the weather was perfect for me. No humidity and I could just breathe easier which made rehab go that much better. Mom asked me what I was in the mood for with the chicken she was making for dinner and I said zucchini. Mom asked how I wanted it prepared and I said I didn’t care. So mom went online, found a recipe, and then changed the recipe around and made it. At dinner, when I declared the cous cous stuffed zucchini a success, mom stated that she hoped her “adventurous spirit” (her words) would make the blog.

Tuesday was a quiet day that I spent reading and mom had her book club. Wednesday was another quiet day without anything of importance to report.

So as usual, when there isn’t much of the news front to report, I start letting my mind wander about other things to talk about here in the blog. The thing I keep coming back to is The Briefcase, a new show on CBS on Wednesday nights. So far there have been 2 episodes and mom and I have watched them both. The premise of the show is that a needy family who has agreed to be interviewed for a documentary about money is given a briefcase with $100,000 and has to decide whether to keep the money, share it, or give it all away; over the course of the episode they learn about another needy family, one who would be the recipient of the money that the documentary family chooses not to keep, should they do so. What the documentary family doesn’t know is that this other needy family is in their same situation! They are also in the documentary, also given a briefcase, and learning about family 1 to decide whether to give them any/all money. Hopefully I explained that so it made sense… So the show is basically about examining your own beliefs about what you would do if your money problems were fixed, but you knew that if it happened someone else who was also worthy didn’t have theirs fixed. Would you want to help someone else? How much would you want to help them? I don’t want to give away the endings of what the families have decided but I highly recommend episode 1 for the very honest and varied responses to what to do (give it all away, keep it all, etc). I think at any given time we may be presented with a metaphorical briefcase containing something that could advance ourselves but could also be used instead to help someone else. When opportunities knock, do you take a look around and see how this opportunity for you could be used to also help someone else or do you get stuck in your own personal experience?

There are times I fill this blog with news and other times that I fill this blog with feelings. I’d like to think though, that this blog is my briefcase. For me, it gives me the opportunity to not be so isolated when I’m miles from home and mostly in the apartment. But I’d like to think that I don’t use my briefcase to selfishly only focus on me and hope that I cause you to examine your own beliefs on issues and think about them beyond the blog and that it helps you in your life in some way (whether it makes you more grateful or changes your perspective on something, etc)… Maybe even cause a ripple effect

And so, for BR who told me last night that while he has never commented, he has always loved the Thankful Thursdays here are a few things I’m thankful for this week. As always, feel free to comment and let us know what you are thankful for.

Meri’s list:

1. Pictures and videos of the parade; also that a recorded version of the live stream now exists to watch. Even more so that I live in a country where other cultures routinely celebrate their heritage and culture openly and safely by literally parading it down the street. And in this particular case, I’m glad of the support Israel received by this year’s parade.
2. Strawberry twizzlers
3. Mom’s “adventurous” side
4. Old bad cheesy movies shown on TV

Sandy’s list:

1. American Ninja Warrior back for another season
2. Blue skies today (as opposed to grey skies yesterday)
3. Maxon Towers book club

***And now I also issue a challenge to my brother Scott… you worked my growth from resistance and struggling butterfly (last week’s blog entry) into your last week’s Friends ‘n Fun email update on your Bike 4 Chai training… I challenge you to incorporate the briefcase this week 😉 Good Luck! (for those of you who don’t know, my brother is training to complete an 180 mile 2-day bike ride to raise money for kids battling cancer and sends out very witty weekly emails about his training. Let us know if you’d like to subscribe and he’ll add you to his distribution list.)