Atrocities At Our Front Door

Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world
which He has created according to His will.

May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days,
and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon;
and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored,
adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He,
beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that
are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights,
may He create peace for us and for all Israel;
and say, Amen.

Kaddish- English Translation

Let us not forget that those who were slaughtered in their Synagogue are our brothers and sisters.

  Let us not forget that Jesus was a Jew. 

 Let us not forget that he was an obedient Jew.

  Let us not forget that he read from the Torah and worshipped in the Synagogue.

We must fight this evil in our country and in our own hearts.

O Father God and Lord of all,

Look down on your children as they weep and mourn.

Comfort the widow and the orphan.

~Cindy

Looking Into My Parents Marriage

Let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it be rather a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
-Kahil Gilbran, "The Prophet"







As a child I viewed my parents simply as my parents.  I had no understanding of their triumphs or tragedies.   Their struggles, if any were concealed in the fact that they were my parents.   They were in many ways a mystery to me.

Now they have celebrated 65 years together!  Now I am assisting them as they face the fact that my father is dying and in home hospice.  I do not claim to understand their marriage, for it is still a mystery to me.  But I have had moments where clarity of their love, respect for each other, and their Faith in the plan of The Man Upstairs washes over me.

I see the dance that they have perfected over the years.  Sometimes one is the leader and other times not, they twirl and spin through the life they have created with the occasional mis-step, but always the hands reach out across the space and they continue their dance.

The music that they dance to is private.  Occasionally, I can faintly hear it in my heart; where the best music is played.  The look that passes between them, the kiss for no reason other than they want to kiss each other, and the laughter.  There is so much laughter and so many memories that they are sharing.

I can see them now as people, people that I have been privileged to call my parents.  They are the best example of what marital love is that I know.  They have lived their wedding vows completely.

Lord, Thank you for the example
of married love that you provided to me.

Continue to strengthen their love and give them
Your Peace.

-Cindy