Valuing Each Other
A new year—a time for parties and celebration.
For many, it’s also a time for reflection. Taking stock. Where are we? Where have we been? What could we do better? How can we be better parents/partners/friends/family members in the coming year?
A wonderful article in the Jan. 2, 2023 NY Times, “The 7-Day Happiness Challenge”, promises seven steps to a “joyful, more connected 2023.”
The first step, according to Times writer, Jancee Dunn, is taking stock of our relationships. She cites the Harvard Study of Adult Development: “From all the data, one very clear finding has emerged: Strong relationships are what make for a happy life. More than wealth, I.Q. or social class, it’s the robustness of our bonds that most determines whether we feel fulfilled.”
It’s an interesting article to stumble upon as we approach our first Shabbat of this secular year, when we’ll read Parashat Vayechi. This is the final parashat of the Book of Genesis, that magnificent chronicle of some of the world’s earliest and totally dysfunctional families. (Fratricide? Lying to secure a birthright? Selling your father’s most beloved son, who also happens to be your brother, into slavery?) Instagram’s got nothing on Genesis.
Parashat Vayechi focuses on the ongoing reunion of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt, the brothers appearing as supplicants in a time of drought and famine, while Joseph, sold into slavery years ago, is now an august authority of the Egyption court. We read of Jacob’s blessing of Joseph’s sons, of Jacob’s death and burial, and the final event of the parashat, the death of Joseph.
What are the takeaways?
Family, connection, is precious. Sacred. Even after selling a sibling into slavery, there can be reunion. Forgiveness.
We all know this, but sometimes we need to be reminded. We need to remember to treasure each moment. To put down our devices and just be silly with our kids. Our partners. The people in our lives. We need to remember to listen, to give, and feel given to. For many of us, the pandemic, as hard and horrible as it was, helped us remember.
Now, as we start 2023, post-pandemic, let’s remember what it taught us, along with the lessons of Genesis and of that modern-day Torah, the NY Times, and have a joyful, fulfilling year. Let’s remember together!
Happy 2023, Everyone!
Thanks so much for being part of our community!