Musings of a Jewish Mom

Blog

  • The Great Suppression

    Or The Unintended Consequences of Chronic People-Pleasing I seem to be in the midst of a sort of life review. I don’t know if this means that I am about to die, or if it’s a more symbolic kind of birth of one self and transformation into another. But in any event, the review is continue reading

  • Jeff

    This Thursday, May 1st, 2025 would have been my brother Jeff’s 62nd birthday. This is the first birthday that I can’t say happy birthday to him in person. I really loved/still love my little brother. Just because I can no longer see him in his physical form does not mean I love him any less, continue reading

  • To Be or Not To Be

    Why am I willing to stand in the town square naked at this time? For me, it is a matter of life and death. For years I have written pieces only for my personal use. Often I even discarded what I wrote so no-one but myself knew what I had written. Now, I want to continue reading

  • Do I Look Fat in These Genes?

    I really loved my paternal grandmother. She was an amazing woman, brilliant, multilingual, and tough as nails. Because of her determination and quick thinking, she was able to get my father’s family out of Austria just in the nick of time. She was a Polish Jew who emigrated to Austria when she married my grandfather continue reading

  • Squashing and Unsquashing

    When did I actually stop expressing who I am?  I had been told a story by my late father which I’m not sure is factually true. My dad was known for playing fast and loose with facts which is why I have some doubt. But even if some of the details of the story are continue reading

  • I Can See Clearly Now The Glasses Are Gone

    Last week I had a cataract removed on my right eye and a new multifocal intraocular lens was inserted. I am now seeing without glasses even though my left eye is yet to be corrected. So many things that I’m seeing now that I was not able to see before. All of a sudden I continue reading

  • FYI

    Someone who knows me very well asked me today why am I calling my blog Musings of a Jewish Mom, especially when my first two posts had nothing to do with Judaism and more to do with turtles. My answer was: because that is who I am. I didn’t think it needed explanation but since continue reading

  • Wonder

    There are some days that are so extraordinary that one must stop and wonder. This past Friday was one of those days.  So it was Good Friday according to the Christians. For me it was the day preceding Erev Shabbat of Shabbat Shira, a very significant day of the Jewish calendar. All of that is continue reading

  • Speaking My Truth

    I was wondering, why is the miracle at the Red Sea recalled every day in Jewish prayer. Then I pictured myself as a Jew escaping Egypt after God personally intervenes and releases the Jewish people from bondage there. We get out of Egypt and we begin on our journey only to be confronted with the continue reading

  • The Parable of the Turtles

    So, the other day for some reason, in my very early morning wakefulness, somewhere between conscious and subconscious mind, I get this thought: I really want to see a turtle today. I knew I was planning a nature outing with my two adult kids. So maybe this thought wasn’t completely out of the blue. But continue reading