"If Your Head Was Not Attached to Your Neck...."

"If your head was not attached to your neck," my mother would admonish me, "you would forget that too."

As a kid, I resented it. As an adult, I reluctantly admit it is true.


This morning, I did not feel well. I wanted to nap, but there was too much to do. I was busy with a thousand things when I realized that I had to get going or I would be late to the pool. I arrived, just minutes before my first class, and got a parking space right in front of the entrance (the first good thing that happened today). As I removed my keys from the ignition, I looked to my right and noticed... my pool bag was not there.

No pool bag = no swim suit = no lessons.

I had no choice; I had to go back home to get my pool bag.

I sent A into the pool, to tell my student. Then I pulled out of my perfect parking space, knowing that it would not be there when I returned.

I was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!

What could I do? I called my sister.

Thank God for sisters!

She was having a pretty bad day too. But, after hearing about mine, she said "you win!" At least I made her smile (and maybe even feel better)!

My sister is a really good listener. She always knows just what to say!

I am a fixer. My sister is a listener. (You can't always fix things, but you can always listen. I can learn a lot from my sister.)

My sister listens... empathizes... and, when appropriate, laughs.

I felt much better when I got off the phone.


Alas, my day's mishaps were not yet over.

On the way home from the pool, I phoned my son at his friend's home, and instructed him to meet me on the corner.

A few minutes later, as I am driving down Derech Hevron, my daughter asked "why didn't you pick up MD?"

I could not believe that I forgot to pick him up!


My mother's words rang in my ears.


It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I think I lost my head in Australia.



Please daven (or send happy, healing thoughts) for RivkA bat Teirtzel.

With love and optimism,
RivkA