Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Day #2 Without Facebook

Wow! It was quite a day today.

Yo is on his third day of toilet training. It was semi-successful, which means that I'm doing more laundry tonight. Always fun. I'm sure we'll get there - maybe by September :)

Oh and real excitement. Y climbed out of his crib about an hour and a half after I put him in for his afternoon nap. I'm not sure if he actually fell asleep, or just played around until he got bored - then climbed out. All of a sudden, I heard knocking at the bedroom door, I opened it, and Y walked out, all proud of himself. Hooray for him, boo for me. I made some adjustments to where he sleeps - around bedtime he demonstrated how he had gotten out the first time - so I knew what furniture to move around to make it more difficult to get out. Y was very disappointed. Sorry kiddo.

What I have found is that I have more time for friends. Real friends. Last night, I actually spoke to a good friend on the phone! It sounds novel - but I think (for me) since I follow my friends on Facebook, I feel I have a general idea of what's going on in their lives, but then never speak to them because theoretically, I know what's happening with them. Sort of true, but not really. Real communication - picking up the phone, hearing their voice and making a deeper connection does not happen on Facebook.

Good friends are important. Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) says "...Make for yourself a teacher; acquire for yourself a friend; and judge every person favorably (1:6). Having a teacher and a real friend keeps you on the right path. Books are important - but to get real understanding and clarity - a teacher is essential. Especially in Judaism. There is so much to learn, so much to enjoy - books are a great starting point, but you must find a teacher to guide and answer questions that always pop up along the way. A real friend - a friend who can tell you when you're wrong, is also essential. It's easy to get involved in our lives, our egos get caught up in what we want rather than in what we need - we need a real friend to point out the way. Having both - a teacher and a friend - is what everyone needs.

I am indeed thankful for my real friends, and having a chance to catch up with them.

Recommended reading: Ethics of the Fathers: With a New Commentary Anthologized from the Works of the Classic Commentators and the Chasidic Masters, compiled by Rabbi Yosef Marcus

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