My bed and I had some quality time today. In between packing sessions, cleaning the kitchen and rounds of laundry, I snuck in not one but two naps while Yonah was at Ruchama’s. Shuie went and picked him up so I could have a little more time to sleep. Even with the extra snooze time, 4:30 this afternoon found me lying on the carpet in our living room while Yonah played around my head and eventually came to lie down next to me for a cuddle. I chucked my evening plans to go with Shuie to a fundraiser tonight, opting instead for another date with my bed. We are having my sibs-in-law for Shabbat which means I get to cook. Ugh. I’m going to need all the energy I can muster.

I wish those Star Trek beam things actually existed in real life, as it would make our transit back to the States so much easier. We’re leaving at 1 a.m. on Tuesday Night/Wednesday morning, which will put us at JFK at 6 a.m. on Wednesday. All you geniuses out there who have done the math may be asking yourself, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a five-hour flight”. Not so much. The 6 a.m. arrival is including the time difference. 6 a.m. in New York is 1 p.m. in Israel. You got it: We’re in for a 12-hour airplane funfest. Now here’s the weird thing: our flight here was only 9 and a half hours. When I asked Shuie today why the trip back is so much longer he shrugged and said, “I dunno. Something to do with the wind”. I suppose I should be grateful that his answer was so simple; had I asked my father the same question I would have been in for a 45-minute lesson on aerodynamics, Galileo and probably something involving the Talmud. Just kidding, Dad…

When my mother was sick she wrote on a blog every day (I’m not as original as you thought), sharing with everyone who cared to read the ups and downs of her illness and how it felt to live battling Cancer. She had a huge readership and eventually the blog became our main source of keeping people informed about how she was doing. My father wrote me today to let me know that Mom’s blog has a new address: www.debbisjourney.com. I decided to revisit the blog today, reading entries she wrote around this time last year. It’s amazing to me how much hope she had for her recovery; there was even a point when she thought she would be able to go back to teaching preschool. She was so brave; all she wanted was to live so she could be with her children and grandchildren. As you read on, you can see her will to fight dwindling. And then, only six months later, she’s gone. There are moments when I still don’t believe she died. There are her thoughts, right there on the internet. There’s her voice in my head and pictures of her, so vibrant and beautiful, right in front of me. How can this person no longer exist? I know there are no answers to these questions. I wish I didn’t have to ask them.