Hey guys,
I’ve been invited to participate in an online event hosted by Lisa Kafer. Lisa is a healthy lifestyle coach and while her focus is on healthy eating (mine isn’t), she is running this event with various speakers, and my role is to discuss a parent’s role in our kids’ emotional health with an interview on Parenting with Radical Acceptance (check out my Facebook group).
It was an innocent comment at the end of an innocent get-together. She leaned over and conspiratorially whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, you’ll get your happy ending.”
Delta flight 467 from to Tel Aviv seemed completely full. I got an aisle seat, which was nice. I looked around and took note of my seatmates, wondering who was going to keep me company as I headed to my favorite place on earth for another JWRP trip in Israel.
Standing in Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, in the longest security line ever, wasn’t exactly the place I thought I’d get sobering reminders about life.
In dawned on me that this summer I am going out of town six times.
There are beautiful responses that people of faith turn to during moments of pain and struggle: Gam zu l’tova – it’s all for the good. Gam zeh yaavor – this too shall pass. Kol man d’avid Rachmana l’tav avid – everything G-d does is compassionate and for our good. It’s all bashert – meant to be.
The extreme journey from utter control to complete release of control in parenting is frightening. No one seems to travel it bump-free. It’s more like a free-fall, hitting your head; spraining your ankle; losing your balance, and landing in a heap at the bottom wondering what happened.