In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy
there are numerous “teachable moments” to share with our
children. Mr. Charlie Harary, in his article “Hurricane Sandy:
The Aftermath” shares numerous lessons to be learned. He also
makes four resolutions:
- Every day, notice one thing in my “normal” life and be grateful for it.
- Dare to be great. Every day, set one goal beyond my perceived limitations and go for it. Push to see how much potential I really have.
- Each day, hug each kid, tight. Pick a family member to call to say I love you.
- The next time I have an opportunity to give, I will just give.
This is an impactful exercise to
practice with our children. “What did I learn from the past weeks
of Hurricane Sandy? What will I now do differently?”
With the Thankgiving season
approaching, Mr. Harary's first resolution hits home. He shares a
story, which will resonate with those of us who have grandparents who
are Holocaust survivors.
“I remember when I was 16 years old.
I was home one Saturday night with nothing to do, moping around,
feeling sorry for myself when my grandparents came over.
'What's the matter?' my grandmother
asked.
'I'm having a bad night, my plans
unraveled and I have nothing to do,' I kvetched.
My grandmother, who at my age was in
Auschwitz, commented, 'Boy, what I would have given to have nothing
to do when I was your age.'
Enough said. Checkmate. Perspective
gained.”
We spend so much time yearning for
objects we do not even need, when life is normal. We do not
appreciate what we have until it is lost. Each morning can and
should be filled with the realization that we should be grateful for
the normal, everyday things. When we awaken, we first say “Modeh
Ani”- thanking Hashem for giving us life. Do we ever stop for a
moment to be grateful for that “normal” waking up? When we teach
our children the Beracha of “Asher Yatzer” to say when they leave
the bathroom, (as thanks to G-d who created their body with their
“plumbing” working correctly), that is exactly what we mean.
Only those who, G-d forbid, lose that ability realize the importance
of thanking G-d for the ability to go to the bathroom. Even when saying 100 berachot a day,
we can focus our attention and think about how grateful we are. In Hebrew, gratitude is “hakarat
hatov'” - recognizing the
good. It is a challenge to recognize the good we already have. “Every
day, notice one thing in my 'normal' life and be grateful for it.”
Another resolution I would make,
stemming from our Sandy experiences, is related to a column I wrote
last year about a day to “disconnect.” When we lost power at my
home, we all gathered together in the same room with mattresses on
the floor and read stories by flashlight. We spent more time
together in the next week- undistracted by television, e-mail, phones
and the other distractions in our lives. This was “quality time.”
Aimee Lee Ball, in her New York Times
article “Hurricane Sandy Reveals a Life Unplugged” concurred
that, “But the storm provided a rare glimpse of life lived offline.
It drove some children crazy, while others managed to embrace the
experience of a digital slowdown. It also produced some unexpected
ammunition for parents already eager to curb the digital obsessions
of their children.” (She contined to add that Michelle Obama
shared that her technology rule during the week for her children is
no TV, cellphones or computers during the week except for homework.)
“It's like coming off of drugs. There's a 48 hour withdrawal until
they're not asking about the TV every other minute. The storm offered
a nostaligic return to childhood amusements that don't require
batteries.” (Although, it is interesting to note that Hurricane
Sandy and its aftermath were the most instagrammed news event ever,
with more than 800,000 pictures posted). Hurricane Sandy reminded
me to resolve, “Every
day, make some time to disconnect and be
with my children and family.”
