L'Shana Tova

Today is Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Our original plan for today was for the Dancing Queen and I to attend services at a local Chabad-affiliated temple, then bake cinnamon-honey challah. Instead, I'm once again at the hospital with Little Pom. Last night, around 9, we realized that his dialysis catheter was leaking. After calling the Charge Nurse at our usual home-away-from-home, she advised us to come on down! By 10, LP, his Poppa and I were at Childrens. We sat. And sat. And sat. For H-O-U-R-S. At 5am, they decided that we were being admitted and sent LP and I up to our room. The first private room we've ever had! Today at noon, rather than watching the Dancing Queen hear the shofar blow for the first time, I was waiting in pre-op, as LP eagerly demanded "full sedation!" He came through fine, although in a LOT of pain. He cried, moaned and pleaded for us to help him for about 2 hours before they broke out the heavy-duty meds: tylenol with codeine. As I type, he's finally relaxed and watching a few more minutes of cartoons before I turn off the T.V.

When I got a chance to check my emails today, I had a large number that were wishing me L'Shana Tova and a sweet and good New Year. I have to say that the desire to be "written in the Book of Life" carries an extra-special meaning when you are stroking the forehead of your fragile, suffering child. The Dancing Queen and I missed out on a special experience this year. But I was given the opportunity to truly, fervantly hope that someone I dearly love would be written in the Book of Life in a way that is perhaps a bit more literal than my friends might mean it, but is all the more poignant given the way LP and I "celebrated" Rosh Hashana. Tonight, we ate applesauce and watched a Youtube video of Perry Como singing Kol Nidre. Tomorrow, we'll go home and maybe the DQ and I will still make challah...its yummy after all. :-)

Either way, may everyone who reads these words- Jewish or not- be blessed with a good and sweet new year; with friends who love you and family that embrace you; with health and prosperity in good times and forbearance and hope in the bad. May you be close to those who love you best and may all our days from this point forward be better than they were today.

Brightest Blessings on you and yours.