My Prayer Book

This Tuesday will be, G-d willing, my birthday. I won't give away my age but if you go by the expression, "you're not getting older, you're getting better", I must be WAY better! Joking aside, I do feel that after all these years, I am finally getting the hang of life. It took me awhile to finally accept that I am not here to make myself happy but to serve G-d. That may sound like my happiness doesn't matter, but on the contrary, it turns out that I am much more content than I have ever been in my life. I have given myself over to a Power (HaShem) greater than myself with the knowledge that it is ALL GOOD. I can basically just hang on and enjoy the ride, knowing that if I give it my best effort, I have nothing to worry about.

When my birthday comes around, there is one person who always comes to mind, for without her I would not exist.... that is my beloved Mother, a'h. There is a great deal one can say about one's mother, so I won't bore you with my personal feelings and stories. But I would just like to say for the record, that she not only gave me life by physically giving birth to me, but she gave me the gift of spirituality. She instilled in me the sensitivity to G-dliness and her holy essence passed through to me. Here is one example in the form of a poem:

My Prayer Book

My book was blue and shiny
And I read it every day
My Mommy bought it for me,
To teach me how to pray

My book was blue and shiny
Adorned with stars so bright
I read the prayers sincerely
When I went to bed at night

I was so young and tender
The book was mine to keep
The supplications calmed me
And helped me go to sleep

I was so young and tender
When “Shema” was in my heart
My mother raised me wisely
And shaped me from the start

That book was oh so precious
I treasured it with love
It was my first awareness
Of Our Father up Above

That book was oh so precious
It achieved its crucial goal
Mommy nourished both my body
And my new and precious soul


In those days, there was no Rabbi Lazer to tell our parents to read the Shema with their child, but somehow my Mother knew that it was important. Such a simple thing as a prayer book for children can make an enormous impact on a youngster's internal thoughts and psyche.

I thank HaShem for blessing me with such wonderful parents. May my Father live a long and healthy life, and may my Mother a'h reap the eternal rewards from all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.