Tradition

Note: This is Friday's post, even though today is Saturday.

I don't much care for organized religion. I'm just not that good at it. But there is much to be said for tradition. Us Jews are well practiced at mourning - it's pretty much a core competency. As I sat with my cousins at Uncle Gus and Auntie Masha's place over the last few days, I cannot help marveling at how this all works. There is a lot of laughter and every now and again some tears. It all seems so right though. People stop in and bring food. Everyone talks with joy and pain about Uncle Gus and his idiosyncrasies; he was a funny guy. Somehow all the talking reinforces the fact that he will never be forgotten by those of us who knew him.

My aunt and cousins are amazing. The amount of strength they get from and give each other is wonderful. Jewish traditions of mourning are very powerful. The days of Shiva after my dad died are some of the most special days of my life. Spending endless hours with my mother and brother and sister, nothing to do, nowhere to go, just time to be together to talk and remember, was so special and so healthy. It started the healing.

Auntie Masha keeps telling me I should go home. I keep trying to tell her I need to be there as much as all of them. It feels very good to reconnect with my cousins all over again. We always complain we don't see each other enough, it is so true, we don't. I thank them for letting me sit alongside them now.