Small Signs of Having Arrived

Just found this little piece from way back and had to post it.

I know that we have arrived. Every so often I get a sign. Just last Shabbat, as we were walking home from shul, Shaya took my hand in his and announced, “Ima, after Shabbat, I want to write my name in the earth.”

I was surprised to hear this and after some thought, I realized where this came from. He was reading a book for English class by Sara MacLachlan. The book was about an independent woman called Sarah who is from the east coast who moves to the harsh, arid prairies to be a farmer’s wife. She struggles but cannot commit herself to this hard life. Yet one day, she takes a stick and scrawls the letters S-A-R-A-H into the land. At this moment, she has arrived and she knows that she wants to stay.

As for my little philosopher Shaya, he must be telling me that he feels Israel is his home. I am so touched by his thoughts and his ways of expression.

In fact, just a few days ago, I heard him having a talk with his little sister, Talya. Talya was saying, “Israel is my best country in the whole world.”

“No, Tilly,” Shaya replied in a voice of authority. “Israel is my favourite country in the whole wide world.” And he opened his arms as wide as wide can be.