Wigged Out

Mission accomplished with the wig. Faina was all smiles with her new coiffe, as much out of relief as out of the beautiful appearance. Her old hair had been mercilessly assaulted by the cats, who probably thought it was a synthetic mouse. It turns out the frisky felines did us a favor as the newer cranial prosthesis is a vast improvement on what became a pricey cat toy.

The house is full of lively conversation. Misha and Misha stopped in Brighton Beach for some shopping on the way down. Supper was the best a Russian delicatessen had to offer. We picked up Sonia from BWI.  Her travels began in Seattle and she was unaffected by a day of travel. Around midnight, the Leningrad Pediatric Medical School, Class of 1980 held an unofficial reunion, poring over old pictures, adding personalities, narratives, and updates on those captured on film over 30 years ago. For breakfast, the products of the Brighton Beach shopping trip made their way to the table as Misha fried up some blinchiki which were later topped with sour cream and caviar. Faina happily indulged in all the day had to offer.

As I draw on the close of a year, I look back on a narrative that would have done, Poe, Kafka,, or Beckett proud. I also reflect on many blessings some of which I was barely aware, others that did not catch my attention in the past and others that I have always recognized, only more so now. The lines separating trivial from important have been erased, priorities have been upended.  Appreciation for friends, family, acquaintances, and the random individuals who play bit parts in this drama we call life has been magnified. While to a great extent our hope floats on physicians' skills, CT and blood test results, and pharmaceutical wonders, quality of life is mostly sustained by the wonderful people who surround us, nurturing, encouraging, picking up the many pieces we have dropped, some working from inside the paint, others from the three point zone, and some out-of-bounds, yet in the arena, within yelling distance. The years I devoted to total immersion in existential philosophy have served to give me a language, a point of reference, and a means to make meaning of this experience. From that perspective, the ultimate experience of Being is in relationships, responsibility, and time. As Sartre said, "It is what it is." The spiritual side of this journey has given me yet another sense of peace. The mitzvot and other teachings related to healing the sick, caring for others, choosing life have also provided inner strength as well as provided inspiration for others to take action and revealed the many angels in our midst. I look forward to the next year, sustained by hope, trust in humanity, fearless courage, and the knowledge that we are not walking this road alone. I raise a glass to those who have touched us and to those who we, in turn, have touched.

Shanna Tova and Shabbat Shalom