Saturday, October 06, 2007

Head Count

...so this is how the past few weeks have been.

Erev Yom Kippur -- I went to a funeral for the husband of a woman I used to work with. The family was able to sit shiva for 1 hour.

Erev Sukkot -- my husband went to a funeral of a close friend of ours. The family was able to sit shiva for 1 hour.

Chol Hamoed Sukkot Sunday -- my husband and I went to a funeral for a shul member. The family was somewhat in limbo for several days. The shiva begins tonight, motzei Shabbos. This afternoon, a friend and I went to deliver a seudat shlishit meal for the family.

Tomorrow, Sunday -- my husband and I will go to a funeral for the mother of a shul member, who is also our friend. His family was at our home this past Thursday for lunch, but our friend wasn't; after shul he walked for over two hours to get to the hospital where his mother had been taken by ambulance just before Yom Tov began on Wednesday night. He came home late on Thursday night; his mother was in intensive care. Yesterday morning, he and his wife walked to the hospital to be with his mother. Last night his mother passed away.
Today when I went to the other family who is waiting for the official shiva to begin, our friend who'd just lost his mother last night was also there to visit. It would be his only time because tomorrow, shiva will start to be observed by his family.

To say it mildly, it has been one hell of a tough couple of weeks. Yes, we've started a New Year and the famous "Who shall live and who shall die" has been presented to us. Let us hope for a better year and a better new month, which will start toward week's end.

Shavuah tov.

4 comments:

Sarah Likes Green said...

that is rough.

let's hope for a better year.

"The family was somewhat in limbo for several days." --> My grandmother a"h passed away second day sukkot so we've had to deal with that. It's quite bizarre. My dad (and siblings) are now sitting shiva but the whole process feels longer than a week because of the limbo situation over the chag.

cruisin-mom said...

Oh Pearl...I'm so sorry, that is a lot to go through. Take good care of yourself.

torontopearl said...

Sarah,
My sincerest condolences on your family's latest loss. May you not know from further sorrow.

CM,
These sad events continually put life in perspective...

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Oh I am Soooo very sorry Pearl...So many deaths....It is terrible!
There have been some losses here as well, I mean in the community of Artists I know and care about...This is a tough year, and I am not sure why....! I send you cindolences, my dear....! I hope these deaths stop now---at least for a while.