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Good Morning 9-25-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

How are you feeling today? We are deep into September, the weather has cooled, school has started, and, in many homes especially those with kids, the chaos has begun. There are lunches to pack, activities to plan, and practices to attend. There’s football practice Tuesday and Thursday evenings with a game on Saturday. There is Robotics Club, piano lessons, soccer practice, and church choir. Don’t forget Drama Club, school open houses, and bowling leagues. Kitchens everywhere, and perhaps your phone, have a posted calendar that shows birthdays, special events, practice times, competitions, and recitals. Add to that the fact that … Continue reading Good Morning 9-25-26

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Good Morning 9-24-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

Today is the day. We will drag the steel poles, the large white covering, and the bamboo shades out of the basement to erect our sukkah. The last few years we have definitely felt our age when it came time to set up the sukkah. Up and down the step ladder to fasten the sheet walls to the top and bottom of the steel frame, tying the bamboo shades onto the top for a roof, and all the decorating takes time and energy. This year we invited a younger couple from synagogue to come help us. Then it’s dinner — … Continue reading Good Morning 9-24-26

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Good Morning 9-23-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

I would be the last person to claim to be OCD. You only have to look at my desk here at home or the sewing room or my bathroom vanity to know that “a place for everything and everything in its place” is not necessarily a motto that I live by. It’s not really the outside spaces I get picky about. It’s how I fold my towels. It’s about how my kitchen cupboards are organized. It’s my obsession with not having boxes of cereal or pasta in the pantry, but instead, putting them all into tall see-through containers and lining … Continue reading Good Morning 9-23-26

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Good Morning 9-22-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

If you found yourself alone in an elevator with the CEO of your company, or the Superintendent of Schools, what would you say to them? Is there something you would ask for? Would you thank them for anything or tell them what needs to be done next? Would you be wise and witty or too timid to talk? When I was at the bank, we were told to have an “elevator speech” ready if you found yourself in such a position. “Be ready to tell them what you want them to hear about you and your department. Be concise and … Continue reading Good Morning 9-22-26

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Good Morning 9-20-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

Another day, another video, this one from Rob Dial, a guy who calls himself the “Mindset Mentor.” An excerpt from one of his podcasts is titled “Chances of You Being Born.” Do I have your attention? Here’s what he has to say. “You being alive is the most statistically impossible thing that has ever happened. To get you, every single one of your ancestors had to not die in the harshest environments, reproduce in an unbroken chain of over 150,000 generations. One break in the chain, and you are not here. The odds of that happening are 1 in 10 … Continue reading Good Morning 9-20-26

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Good Morning 9-18-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

“I’ve got a runner!” That’s the police radio call that goes out when a shoplifter takes off across a parking lot or a guy bails from his stolen car after a twenty-minute high speed chase and runs into a field to get away. In either case, there are generally three outcomes. You might end up with a police officer, better suited to be a defensive back in the NFL, chase you down and tackle you despite the forty extra pounds of gear he’s wearing. If the officer has a K-9 unit, you might find yourself taken down by a dog … Continue reading Good Morning 9-18-26

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Good Morning 9-17-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

There is a life insurance ad I hear regularly on the radio. It’s a guy talking about how his father died at the age of 56 of a stroke. The fellow said he was just a boy at the time. He goes on to say that the good news was that his father had life insurance that took care of his mother and, by extension, he and his brother. Then he says words that give me pause every time I hear them. “We are all going to die. You are going to die.” I’m not sure why that line strikes … Continue reading Good Morning 9-17-26

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Good Morning 9-16-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

At this time of year, pretty much every Jew, believer or not, orthodox or reform, shows up in synagogue for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Maybe it’s an insurance thing: “I gotta get in the presence of God since the rest of the year is all mine and I need forgiveness like you can’t even imagine.” Regrettably, for most of these folks, the High Holy Days are more of a cultural obligation than a spiritual experience. That is, of course, unless you want your spiritual experience to be all about groveling because you have so much to be forgiven for. … Continue reading Good Morning 9-16-26

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Good Morning 9-15-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

We refer to it as entitlement. It’s when people seem to be unable to look past themselves and empathize or at least understand someone else’s position. An entitled person thinks it’s okay to play their music on the plane, in the salon, or on the street without the use of headphones. The assumption is that everyone has the same taste in tunes and that’s just not true. In a close tie, are folks who decide to hold a phone call on speaker phone. They don’t have to be shouting into the phone, but it seems people who do this are … Continue reading Good Morning 9-15-26

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Good Morning 9-14-26

I Am My Father's Daughter

In 1959, a white tiger named Mohini arrived in Washington D.C. as a gift to then President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Her name was Mohini and she was the only white tiger in any zoo worldwide at the time. Mohini was placed in an approximately twelve by twelve foot cage where she would pace in circles all day as people came to marvel at this rare sight. This was her life until the late 1960s when it was determined that perhaps Mohini would be more comfortable in a natural environment. Her new enclosure simulated Mohini’s natural habitat as closely as possible. … Continue reading Good Morning 9-14-26