When I call out,

Answer me, God of

my vindication!

When I was confined,

You opened broad vistas for me

Show me Your grace, listen to my prayer

Inspiration by Tirza Arad

As Pesach has come to an end, I was contemplating what it means to be enslaved, to have limited opportunities of how you wish to live and plan for the future. The story seems to have taken a much different meaning, now that many of us are confined to our homes. While I don’t pretend to make the assertion that we are in any way enslaved, the choices about our immediate future do seem to be more limited. Will I still be able to to do all all the things I enjoy doing, what will happen to my summer vacation plans. When will I be able to hop on a plane and visit my family in New York City?

And yet….. it has forced me to live more in the present and for me, it has become a gift of sorts. Never the reflective kind, I found I am paying more attention to what I am doing, the little actions I take, how I clean, how I cook, what I watch on TV, what I am grateful for. I am less rushing through the list of things I feel I need to accomplish. I am learning more about myself and how I operate, what can be enjoyable if I just pay more attention and take my time. I feel peaceful when I sit with my partner of a lifetime without talking, just being thankful that we have this moment.

By not having to think about the next day, week, month, it opened up the present and that is a gift I hope to take into the future.