Pulling weeds

One of the things I like best about my Rabbi is that every so often, he likes to just call to check up on me. No agenda, no plan, just “hey, how are you doing?”. That happened today.

You see, a year and a half ago, my father died. Suddenly and without warning (and 1500 miles away), I grieved hard and heavy and I felt lost. When I returned home after shiva I went to see my Rabbi. Having lost his father in a very similar fashion, he was quite a comfort to me. No, I wasn’t crazy, everyone reacts in their own way to grief and one day out of the blue, even if its months from now you will be hit by emotion and will have to sit and cry your eyes out.. and that will keep happening for a while.

He was right.

When we feel emotional, sometimes our minds just take over, and like a weed that grows strong and fast, before you know it, it is everywhere. Be it grief or fear, love or hatred, it can quickly take over every aspect of our lives and cloud our judgment and our ability to function normal tasks.

When my Rabbi called today he asked how my new house was. I laughed and said “Rabbi, there are weeds in the garden!” and he said.. “and no one else is going to get rid of them for you. I just tell my wife that G-d will take care of them! I’m a man of faith and I believe this!”

He may not be right about the weeds in my garden, but I’m sure he’s right about the weeds in my head.