It’s always amazing when the Yom Tov season is over and I’m like, wow, what we accomplished in the last month is quite something.
Last night after Havdalah and the house emptied out, Chaim Shaul and I were chatting and just touching base about our thoughts on the Yom Tov season. We both were reflecting on how beautiful it was, and not just platitudes. We have come a long way with a lot of intentional work. We felt this year a sense of flow and less anxiety surrounding all the many things we do and hats we wear. So that felt really good :)
What I really want to focus on today is the third anniversary of October 7th, which is today! Talk about hard to believe.
I don’t have any deep or revolutionary things to contribute. But I do have some personal experiences to share.
A few years ago, we bought the house next door and turned it into a guest house. One of the goals of the guest house was to be able to host soldiers from Israel who were traveling through. Believe it or not, it happens quite often.
And I just want to share how impactful that’s been for our family and our community.
We have hosted many soldiers and families that have been on the front lines, whether as young soldiers or as middle-aged men doing their reserve duty. Hearing their stories and their strength, their humility, and, astonishingly, their joy in protecting all of us is humbling.
When they join our Shabbos table and graciously share their stories and their hearts, I feel very privileged to be witness to it.
Chaim Shaul and I will continue to host and show our gratitude to our heroes.
Thank you for your bravery and your devotion to our nation. We love you!
On the first anniversary of October 7, I sat down with Chana Traxler on Totally Unexpected! to talk about her experience that day in Tzfat. This is a true, minute-to-minute breakdown, in real time, of what it felt like to be in Israel on October 7th. Still so grateful to Chana for sharing her story with us.
Listen here:
I also wanted to share the piece I wrote after visiting Nova for the first time. The multitudes we hold as a people is endless. The beauty, the pain, the hope.
My First Time at Nova
https://www.totallyunexpected.blog/p/first-time-at-nova
And a brand-new episode is out today!
This week’s episode of Totally Unexpected! is with parenting educator Blimie Heller. We talk about control, conflict, what it means for our children to feel safe being who they are, and the very uncomfortable reality that we actually cannot control our children.
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube:
So Excited About This Convo
I recently got to sit down for an interview on The Brief, a podcast by Bozeman Media Design with spectacular host, Liv Longin, featuring the stories of local Bozeman entrepreneurs and creators.
It was really fun getting to be on the other side of the microphone for a change.
Share your thoughts and comments here :)).
🩷 Chavie