Sometime between Purim and Pesach, I always find myself having a little panic attack amid all the building excitement for one of my favorite holidays.
- Will I have enough time to clean my house to ensure that my family will welcome the holiday with the best of intentions?
- Will my children fulfill their spring cleaning duties, pitching in with the overall atmosphere in the house?
- Will I be ready to host two Seders in the time I have left to prepare a thoughtful, educational, age-appropriate experience for my guests?
- Will I have enough food for all who sit at my table, knowing that my high standards stipulate that everything must be home-made?
You may have similar stresses. You may have similar questions that plague you as the holiday draws nearer. What gets me through?
- Planning! Lists, menus and appointments in my calendar let me know which days I should do my Pesach grocery shopping, schlep up the boxes from the basement, cook the brisket, etc…
- Tradition! Sometimes repetition is helpful. The Haggadah lets me know what needs to be recited, which foods I can’t forget to stock up on, and even what items we need on the table to go through the Seder steps.
- Creativity! Here’s the fun and whimsy. One year I sent out a Ladino version of Chad Gadya called Un Cabrito to all my guests beforehand and photocopied the lyrics so we could try out a new tune. Last year I made mini cardboard figurines of all my guests, their photo-faces glued on robe-toting slave silhouettes who were crossing through the sea as my centrepiece. Don’t know I’ll ever outdo that one!
What I realize is that the same strategies I employ in this crazy month leading up to Pesach, are the same tools I’m using to plan Kayitz ‘19 – Planning. Tradition. Creativity. I guess this is my trifecta! What’s yours?!
