This has been the most delightful two weeks of my most recent life. You know from my wanderings that my flight back from Dallas to Boston on Memorial Day “somehow” diverted me to Denver where my son’s family including our adorable granddaughter live. We had a delightful time there. That Friday I flew back to Boston with her and since then we’ve been together on Gramzy adventures for the past ten days. The expression “I feel in seventh heaven” resonates regardless of the merit of the allusion!

Two Shabbats at Ruach were over the top wonderful in all ways, not to mention glamping trips each weekend after services and oneg as we traveled in our RV to be with our other son’s family including two more of our adorable granddaughters. There we were able to attend both of those grandaughters’  ballet recitals in the Poughkeepsie area.

The week between we were up at our home in Maine where we went to beaches, collected sea glass and shells, fished, outlet shopped at Freeport, explored the Desert of Maine and Gramzy’s attic. My tchotchkes (nick-nacks) were a big hit not to mention Shabbat dinner and bunny pancakes at Aunt Wendy’s!

I’m writing this Shabbat encouragement on Monday as we drive our RV back to Boston to pick up my granddaughter’s dad who is flying in to bring her back to Denver. I can only say that Sid is a superstar always supporting and hopefully enjoying Gramzy’s wild ride.

In the days our grandchildren and children have spent together and as Camp Or L’Dor approaches I am reminded of the role we of the older generations have in helping the generations younger than ours to experience God’s Presence.  It doesn’t matter if the young ones are your own or even related, for just our being in their lives is a powerful reminder to them of God as they subtly pick up His being in our lives. That imparting to them seems through the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) bringing that breath of Him to our young ones through our actions.

I know I’ve shared with you that I tend to talk to God throughout the day usually quietly in my heart but for sure on my lips when expressing gratefulness. As I’ve watched my granddaughter in the last couple days spontaneously say “Thank you, God” at just the right moments, I smile.

One day last week she wanted to watch a movie so we landed on “David”, her choice. I explained to her that this story is not like some we watch that are made up, but that it’s true. She asked me who were the Philistines and Israelites and I explained that of all those different people back then, that only the Israelites are still here today, and those are the Jewish people. Her eyes lit up, as she said, “I’m Jewish!” She was in awe when I told her that David from way back then and she are both Jewish! She wanted to watch the movie again and later shared it with her cousins when we were there. All were fascinated.

L’Dor v’dor, from generation to generation, we are charged to be a light to the next generation, the motto for Camp Or L’Dor.  Whether a teacher, parent, grandparent, great grandparent, aunt, uncle, or mentor, we are to let His light shine through us. I now better understand how even if we don’t realize we are saying or doing anything special, we are, for He transmits through us His holiness to the young people with whom we interact. They can sense Him. Perhaps as we age His glow in us grows too, for surely my love for Him has become boundless, growing even more in these recent days as I feel overwhelming joy when seeing Him anew through the eyes of my granddaughter.

Thank you, God, for these days of renewed joy in knowing you through our Messiah Yeshua and for reminding us through our young ones of your ever present love of us.

Shabbat shalom.

Diane