THE YIZKOR CANDLE by Jacqueline Becker as it appears in MSK anthology

 

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     It was time to light the Yizkor, or memorial candle.  We traditionally light it during the week of shiva, or mourning.  We light it at sundown just before we light the four major holiday candles.  We also light it on the anniversary of the death of a close member the family.  The candle represents the soul.  Yizkor is the command verb to remember.  It would translate into:  “He SHALL remember.”  Remembering is imperative in our religion.  The candle is meant to burn a full 24 hours. 

    When our department took our supervisor out to celebrate her retirement, we went to a small, lovely Mexican restaurant.  It was late afternoon and the staff began to light the candles on our table.  My colleague-friend, Debbi, looked at me and I looked back at her.  We were the only ones who understood.  We burst out in laughter.  We could not hold back as the tears streamed down our cheeks.     To be continued tomorrow…

FREE PROMO of my book: RAGING AGAINST AGING on kindle.com May 9-14.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.  You can read my book for free on kindle.com.  ENJOY!49178127_993156517559351_912127770929135616_n.jpg

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LIKES SO FAR

A writer must write but it’s like that old joke – if a tree falls in a forest and no one heard it, did it really fall?  If I write and no one responds, did I really write?  So your likes and comments ARE WHAT KEEPS ME GOING. MORE IS THERE SEX AFTER SLEEP APNEA ON MONDAY AFTER THE HOLIDAY!

One lovely senior was scheduled to take a trip

She joined my talk for fifteen minutes and told me in advance that she was scheduled to take a trip.  She would leave at 11:30 and I was not to take it personally.

Well, I had to remind her when it was 11:40.  She got up and much to my surprise, she came back five minutes later.  “I’ll take the trip in a two weeks when they offer it again,” she said.  She stayed after my little talk was over to chat privately with me about what she was doing to stay relevant.

These senior citizens are national treasures!

MY GRANDSON REFUSED TO SIGN MY MOTHER’S DAY CARD!

Mother’s Day is here!  We have an unusual tradition that my daughter invented.  My daughter and I celebrate Mother’s Day together the day before Mother’s Day.   She devotes almost the entire day and we spend it together doing girl things.  We chit chat over tea.  We buy junk jewelry.  We wander in and out and about town.  We sit down to lunch.  We get reflexology.  It is truly a great gift because my daughter is so busy.  I have to thank my son-in-law and my grandkids for sparing their mom for the entire day.  It makes us feel younger – like when my daughter was in high school.

On the real Mother’s Day, my daughter is the mother that her children celebrate.

She brought me a card and flowers and asked my granddaughter and grandson to sign.  My granddaughter sent me a “jewel.”  My grandson who is older and can write, refused to sign.

“It’s Mother’s Day,” the six year old lawyer inside him said.  “It’s not Grandmother’s Day,” he explained.

And the more I think about it, the more I respect his judgement to honor his Mother on this day!  And my daughter promised me that he will get me a card on Grandparents day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN MY PRESENTATION. I JUST GOT ANOTHER BOOKING!

This charming lady helped me get another booking.  I will be presenting RAGING AGAINST AGING at Atria Senior Living in Roslyn Harbor.  It will be an interactive discussion about the 5 major concerns we all face as we age.  I hope this crowd will Age, Rage, Laugh, Cry, Stretch & Kvetch with me!  A shout out thank you to Emily Willens of the Great Neck Atria!

 

TO-DATE OVER 100 OF MY BOOKS ARE OUT THERE IN THE WORLD

I was raised to believe that all of human intelligence can be found on the shelves of our libraries.  I have been told that my book RAGING AGAINST AGING is a mix of wisdom and wit.  Anyone of the over 100 readers, please consider donating a copy to YOUR library.  And remember, I donate a portion of proceedings to Memorial Sloan Kettering for cancer research for the sake of my children and grandchildren.

The Kitchen Reno is Done

My daughter has a galley kitchen.  Hers is modern and sleek. This kitchen for the HABA doll family is the exact blueprint of my daughter’s  kitchen even if it is a bit old- fashioned.

The kitchen has two openings, just like my daughter’s so that the HABA doll brother and sister can run through the kitchen just like my grandson and granddaughter do.  The young dolls can drive their doll parents nuts just like my grandkids drive their parent nuts – especially when they are trying to get dinner together.

The HABA mother doll can now yell:  “Get out of the kitchen!”  WHAT FUN!

My Book is in my library under new authors “B” for Becker

My mother would say:  “Your father would be so proud.”  My husband is proud.  My grandson is proud.  I am proud.  My daughter is proud.

I grew up believing that a book was the ultimate achievement.  Mine took a lifetime to write.  Mine is about becoming the author of my life.