Parashat Bereshit

It was the box of legos that prompted the sentimental journey.  My neighbor’s grandchildren needed something to keep them occupied over yom tov, so since no one at our house was using them, out it came from the closet shelf, where it was neatly stored.  Memory Lane: my husband was in Vietnam and I was (safe in New Jersey) in a small apartment with three children under five (my own private war zone!).  I wondered if I would ever be able to vacuum a floor without first having to clear away the hundreds of Lego pieces that our 5-year-old son used to construct his intricate buildings, and which his two younger sisters loved to destroy.  I also wondered if I ever would be finished parenting. The children grew and learned to play together – or to ignore each other; their interests and their needs were less demanding physically and occupied a tremendous amount of mental energy, concern, and worry: school issues, friendships, middot, drivers’ licenses (gulp!), colleges, life’s choices.  Then it got to the point when their friendships shifted to include their parents and the relationships deepened to include significant others – spouses and children.  Different kinds of worries; different kind of parenting: sage advice sought, continued concerns about their health and the vicissitudes of life – and that of their spouses, in addition to the layer of their children’s illnesses, schooling, drivers’ licenses (double gulp!!), behavior patterns, etc. Of course, mixed in with the worry about how the increasing number of kids were faring while fasting on Yom Kippur came the pride that there were so many who did so; along with the niggling worries about the child who wasn’t growing at the right speed was the enjoyment of his sense of humor.  And then there are the numerous phone calls that THEY initiate wishing us a Good Shabbos or a Happy Birthday – along with the plethora of hugs dispensed so lovingly. And now another level – THEIR children are maturing beautifully and are making their own life choices – to include choosing spouses!  How will they support themselves, where will they live, are they really old enough to make these vital decisions?  As you read this, I should be in Yerushalayim, preparing for the wedding of my grandson … the son of the avid Lego builder.  And, I must confess –I am sentimental : Somehow, the years pass and the floor is easily cleaned until you reach the point where the  toys (that survived being swept up into the vacuum cleaner) are neatly packed away into containers that are pulled out when the grandkids come.  There are many stages to life and if we’re fortunate, we weather them, at times wondering how we’ll survive the next one, thankful for the strength that got us through the previous one, never believing that one day we’ll pine for these times, grateful for beautiful memories..  If we had only known how quickly the busy parenting days pass, we would not have wished them away.  You are never done parenting – it just takes another guise. B”H, we have been privileged to be part of these phases and eagerly anticipate the next ones. Taking this to a different dimension, what memories will you associate with your children's growing?  Did events happen over the chagim that triggered other memories?  Made you sentimental for past yom tovim?  What do your children think they'll "always remember"?  I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Shabbat Shalom