As the race to the end of the school year is in its final lap, I can say with certainty that Shabbat tonight will be a welcome respite. There is much end of year planning and preparing to do and a good amount of warranted celebration. But even celebrating can be tiring sometimes and so I will remind you, as I remind myself, to make sure you take the time to breathe. When running between sports events and end of year picnics and awards ceremonies and concerts, don’t forget to take stock – truly – of how much you have to be thankful for. Part of the point of Shabbat is to take a break from all that running so that we can do just that – count our blessings. But no matter how you choose to officially mark Shabbat, you can choose to officially mark the accomplishments, big and small, of each member of your family. You can do that tonight at dinner, or tomorrow morning around the breakfast table or at any other time that works for your family. But give yourself the gift of that conversation.
Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom,
Pam Barkley
