-This post was originally published on http://thoughts4mysoul.wordpress.com/
This weekend, the weekend before Shavuot…the weekend before my entire family is coming up for two days of Yom Tov followed by Shabbat…we went away. One could not say that we went on a vacation for the weekend, but it felt like one. Sadly, my husband’s grandmother passed away a few months back. This weekend was the memorial service/funeral for the ashes at her estate in the Thousand Island area in Ontario.
Events were scheduled throughout the weekend, but due to Shabbat, our family hung out at the estate until Sunday morning, when we were able to go to the cemetery and brunch. I had expected it to be a terrible weekend of trying to control my kids (in a thoroughly not-kid-friendly house) and to be constantly explaining our strange behaviours. But we had beautiful weather and enough of the extended family around in the afternoon to entertain the kids that it was the most relaxing Shabbat I have had in a long, long time.
Of course having people entertain the kids was part of it, but the other part was the different and beautiful scenery. The estate, known as Totem Point, is a magnificent piece of architecture – an island house built for entertaining. It is the river, however, that was the key. Sitting and watching the water, the waves, the light dancing its reflections. Ahh. Even the boats going by – speed or regular- added to the atmosphere.
So I can’t always go to such a place for Shabbat, I know that. I can’t put myself in a different location every time I want to feel spiritually refreshed. I can, however, take the memories of those moments and cherish them for when I need just a little boost.
Events were scheduled throughout the weekend, but due to Shabbat, our family hung out at the estate until Sunday morning, when we were able to go to the cemetery and brunch. I had expected it to be a terrible weekend of trying to control my kids (in a thoroughly not-kid-friendly house) and to be constantly explaining our strange behaviours. But we had beautiful weather and enough of the extended family around in the afternoon to entertain the kids that it was the most relaxing Shabbat I have had in a long, long time.
Of course having people entertain the kids was part of it, but the other part was the different and beautiful scenery. The estate, known as Totem Point, is a magnificent piece of architecture – an island house built for entertaining. It is the river, however, that was the key. Sitting and watching the water, the waves, the light dancing its reflections. Ahh. Even the boats going by – speed or regular- added to the atmosphere.
So I can’t always go to such a place for Shabbat, I know that. I can’t put myself in a different location every time I want to feel spiritually refreshed. I can, however, take the memories of those moments and cherish them for when I need just a little boost.
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