Sunday, August 2, 2009

The Person Who Would Have Enjoyed It The Most, Wasn't There...

Today marks the end of the shiva week for my dear mother in law z"l.
It is with much emotion that the family begins the task of rejoining "normal" life, though the definition of normal, has been forever changed. No more daily phone calls. No more weekly grocery shopping. No more Shabbos morning visits.
This past Shabbos was spent with the family all together, gaining strength and comfort from each other's presence. Since all the siblings do not live in the same city and the children are for the most part adults or nearly so, we seldom have a chance to be together in this way and I daresay it was special. Sadly, my mother in law would have loved every minute of our Shabbos meals, only she wasn't there to see it in person, though I firmly believe she does know.

1 comment:

Gavi said...

I have always said that one of the points of the way we ashkenazim do our shiva is to have a party!!

In precisely that manner, concurrent with the Divine wisdom of hilchos aveilus, we allow for celebration of two facts: the niftar's tafkid in this world, and the simcha that we feel from their being in olam ha'emes. This celebration allows the aveilim to slowly re-enter society, as they are comforted by this knowledge.

tinchamu min hashamiyim, and may her neshama have an aliya.