Happy Anniversary

Today is my off-the-boat anniversary. And though I always know it in my heart ( and put it on my work calendar for an official celebration), I wasn't at work to see it on the calendar so I wasn't the first one to congratulate my family...

My mom and my sister don't need any reminders and my sister expressed my family's combined sentiment so well that I'll just quote her:

"Happy Anniversary to our family! Thank you, our beautiful country, for giving us your shelter, your citizenship, and the ability to live as free human beings! G-d bless you and keep you safe!"
Amen.

Happy Birthday, America! 2009

Since it was shabbat, we didn't bbq.
Since I didn't think yesterday, Eh's patriotic dress was all stained ( from trying it on and keeping it on for the day:)) and not fit to be worn today.
Since I didn't have the insight to try it on before, my American flag bandanna didn't want to stay on my head.
Since I couldn't find my blue beads, my red-white-and-blue outfit became a red hat and white outfit combo ( which got me compliments for bravery -wearing all white with young kids around) but did little to bring my patriotic spirit across.
However, the American flag is proudly displayed in front of my door, I hear the fireworks from my window, and still feel the Independence day excitement in my heart!
Happy birthday, America!

The new cat on the block

I don't know about you, but I pretty much know all the stay cats who roam near my house. I even used to feed them my cholent (until I saw 2 huge raccoons in my backyard in January).

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a newcomer. He was different from all other cats-very scrawny, with dull looking fur. He looked so pitiful, I put out some gifilte fish that night. And every time I saw him, I felt pity for him.

Yesterday, while my sister and I were sipping tea on my 'front porch', I saw the new cat pass by. He became a topic of our conversation and suddenly my sis put words to my feelings. This cat looked so pitiful and disturbing because even stray cats here, in America (Brooklyn?) look well fed.

Something good to keep in mind before complaining about tough economic times...

Veteran's Day (PG13- graphic details)

The other day I asked one of the residents, a Vietnam vet, what was it that he was wearing around his neck ( just to get him off the topic of his infinite and almost always not so clean self composed jokes). And he told me a story that one day he saw a 9 year old boy whose body was torn open from his neck down to his groin, with his intestines all spilled out. This man, George, said that all marines had two ampules of morphine with them at all times. So George injected one of this ampules into boy's neck, picked the boys intestines up, washed them with the liquid (water with something a bit stronger) from his canteen, and sewed the boy up with a regular needle and a thread.

"We both knew he was going to die... The boy gave me his necklace, saying this is all he had, thanking me for what I've done for him. It's not gold or anything but I wore this necklace ever since."

Dirty jokes and all, I see George in a different light now. And today, I thank George and all the vets for fighting for Freedom that we so often take for granted...

Patriotic

As I've mentioned many times before I'm a proud flag waving American. So imagine how warm and fuzzy I felt when after coming from (a long day of partially gratifying) work I saw that my daughter came home with her hand made flag that said "don't forget to vote". My little patriot.

On to more routine matters. My kids, especially my little son, have a hard time adjusting to the return-from-daylight-savings-time. Two days ago, around 6:30 I told my daughter that I'm going to put the baby to bed and then she can watch "Elmo visits the Doctor" before turning in.
Imagine my surprise when a few minutes later my baby rejected his good-night-bottle with an unhappy no ( which he usually greets with delight) and started crying. I asked him what's the matter and he said 'unt Elmo data'. I was so impressed I let him watch Elmo data. He didn't watch much because he started dosing off after a few minutes. And I'm still impressed with his power of persuasion.

20th anniversary

It's been 20 years since my family and I got off the boat ( @ the JFK airport) and I'd like to take this opportunity to yet again thank God and my parents for bringing me to the States!
This is a wonderful country where anyone who's willing to put in some effort can achieve just about anything and I'm proud to be an American.

Anniversary

I usually associate anniversaries with something joyful but this one was somber and brought tears to my eyes more than once.

It started last night when I inadvertently overheard some of the 9/11 tv report. Then this morning, I saw a fire fighter in dress uniform walking to a 9/11 memorial in the Rockaways. Bloombergs radio reporting about now traditional ceremony @ ground zero and at the same time telling about all the conspiracy theories regarding who was behind the attacks.
TV in patient's room - a moment of silence for the fallen, recital of their names with their pictures in the lower left corner. (The patient got annoyed because I stood in her room mesmerized, unable to take my eyes away from the tv and break my thoughts away from the memories of that day.) Throughout the morning I bumped into a tv or a radio here and there and heard more of the name recital which brought tears every time. I tried hide the tears. Those who don't mourn won't understand and my explanation would only trivialize things.

I went to the Rockaways memorial during lunch. The flag was at half mast and beyond the park I saw the skyline, the spot where the towers stood.

After lunch some insensitive foreigner in my department asked what's the deal with today. And for the first time in 5 years I worked with 3 other therapists who were there by the window and saw it all happen together with me. One of them remembered how one of the present therapists cried bitterly for 2 hours until he finally got in touch with his wife who worked in lower Manhattan, the soot, the papers flying in the air, the panic, the need to stay at work and reassure the residents and the urge to find your loved ones, run home and hide.

I guess you had to be there to realize the way it changed everything.

A few weeks later I found some cards @ B & N : " we are all in this together" and " new york needs us strong". I gave them out to my coworkers and many of us had them handing by our desks.

I don't want to remember this but I hope I won't forget.

RNC

I just listened to Rudi's and Sarah Palin's speeches and they left me inspired and proud. More later.

Memorial Day

Albeit it's a national holiday, I went to work for a few hours today because I missed 1.5 days last week and because you can accomplish a lot more on a holiday ( since there are less people working who can potentially slow me down).

My little department is made up of immigrants ( with an exeption of 1 born American who wasn't there today), so none of us 'grew up' with a Memorial Day. So when one of my coworkers heard me wish a "happy Memorial Day' to one of the residents he asked me what exactly are we celebrating? Instead of answering him directly, I asked him ' what does it sound like', and ' how many years have you lived in America that you still don't know what's being celebrated?'. I gave him the brief description of the holiday after I told him off for living in the country for 7 years and not caring to find out the cause for 'the bbqs and sales'.

Later this evening, after the kids were finally sleeping and the adults were enjoying the obligatory barbeque (burgers and hot dogs on a George Foreman grill version), my sister and I started discussing some people's short memories when it came to late saddam and America's war in Iraq.

Now just to be clear, I'm not really into politics. I am an ostrich. I usually let you mind your own business if you don't put it in my face and let me peacefully mind my business. And along the same lines I don't care for wars. But in the land of freedom and opportunity it somehow becomes so easy to forget that as a bumper sticker reads ' Freedom isn't Free".

If freedom was free - no lives lost, no emotional and physical wounds, no billions spent- would all the immigrants have come here today and in the past, or would they have remained in their 'mother' countries and enjoyed the 'freedoms' there?

To quote our president "It's Memorial Day. It's a day to honor not only those who have died in combat, but it's a day to honor those who continue to serve," Bush said.

Peace.