Chanukah Please Tree-t Me Right!
Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS
Are you one of the lucky ones? Do you have it easy?
Some of us are actually moving around couches and breakfronts! After all, we need to create that perfect spot.
Not everyone has an accessible window in the front of their house. And those candles have to be seen by at least one passerby. Sooo, we get stuck doing a little heavy moving.
Okay- not really a big deal!!
The holiday of lights is upon us.
We’re actually busy pulling out our whole menorah collection:
–Of course, there’s the fancy silver ones. After all, They’re only useful 8 days a year. Therefore, we’ve got to polish them up and have them showing, front and center.
-More importantly there are the lopsided ones. The ones someone made in preschool. Yes, the ones that are oftenaesthetically challenged or at a minimum missing some nuts and bolts. But, we need to display them, either because they bring back memories fir is or because our little ones are still right there in the home. And in that case, they are the most integral menorahs on the table. Because, this is no longer simply about Chanukah, this is about the actual relationship- do you truly recognize and celebrate their artistic abilities?!
-Then there is the one we got from a close relative as a wedding gift. This one needs to be displayed quite prominently you know, just in case, that certain someone shows up and gets offended that you don’t value their gift!
-Most importantly there are the ones we LOVE, either because they are cute and gimmicky or because we bought them on our last trip to Israel.
-Finally, there are the best ones… simply put – Easy to set up, the candles fit in first try and they don’t flop over!
Yes, we do it right this holiday. We are not expending energy or messing with the environment. We are just taking our trusty menorah and some candles and making our statement that way.
Honestly, it’s really safer for the environment this way- and I don’t mean ecologically. Just imagine one of us willing to shlep a whole tree home across our shoulders to begin with?! But, alright, imagine we do…
We are such social beings that at our first sight of someone we know, we’d suddenly turn to say hi, and, wham, take out 3 people walking on the side walk. Then, hearing the crash, we’d turn quickly, to see what happened, and, bam, finish off another large group. How secure would the environment be with a whole bunch of us on the loose?! It’s just whole lot safer, for everyone involved, having us shlep home a few candles and a little menorah.
So happy Chanukah everyone.
Enjoy the menorah array.
And celebrate that this holiday both illuminates our streets and keeps our streets safer from the well intentioned likes of us!!
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivkirosenwald@gmail.com
