A mitzvah is a good deed

We just came back from Scottsdale AZ where we attended the double Bat Mitzvah of my cousin’s twin granddaughters. I must say they did a terrific job reciting their assigned prayers, Torah readings, and what-being a-Bat Mitzvah-means-to-me-speeches, and they were definitely deserving of the dinner and dance carnival party in their honor at the end of the day.

However, what impressed me the most was their dedication to good work with animals. One of the girls who has already declared that she wants to be a veterinarian, raises funds for poorly treated dogs on the island of Puerto Rico. Since her father comes from Puerto Rico she was able to witness this first hand while visiting family there.

She says, “I’m donating medicine to a fund for an organization called Island Dog. It’s a program in Puerto Rico for neglected or abandoned animals. They help them survive…I’m trying to help them so that dogs and cats and animals can stay alive.”

Stray dogs at Dead Dog Beach

Her sister wants to protect police dogs that get into harm’s way while doing their jobs. Her charity is Vest-A-Dog, an organization that raises money to protect these dogs.

A vested police dog

She says, “What I’m trying to do is raise money to buy bulletproof and knife-proof vests for police dogs…those run around $1,000.…They’re putting their lives on the line for us, so I think the least we can do is to make their jobs safer.”

I am so happy that these sisters are so thoughtful and caring. They are actually thinking of donating some of their Bat Mitzvah money to their causes. Well, part of my gifts to them is a donation as well.

The sisters are indeed doing a mitzvah – the Hebrew word for good deed.

First small stones

I think my small stones this January are coming from all over the place - outside nature, outside events, inside my mind and thoughts, on my body. But I don't think it matters. Just so I pay attention for a bit of time and write down what I’m paying attention to. For example, I had to write today's stone about how I'm feeling because experiencing Denver's cold dry air for a couple of days played such havoc on my body. It is hard not to pay attention to it.

Here are my January 2012 River of Stones musings so far.

January 1

As the morning cold blows through my house like winter, my skin cannot bear my icy touch.

January 2

The trees stand like shadows against the morning fog, their branches dripping down dew.

January 2

Little Daniel was twelve when he took his life two years ago. I look at his face, all pure innocence, so young. His straight blond hair raggedly cut almost covers his eyes. Yet, there is a wiseness in him, in the way he looks so intent and focused. He makes me cry. I want to save him from his tragic fate. But, it is much too late.

January 3

I look out at the still, waning day. The palm trunks still wet with morning midst.

January 4

I read with tears about the death of the oldest Holocaust survivor and I marvel at his perseverance to survive and his love of family and life. I want to shout out his story to the world. We can all learn from it.

January 5

I’m sitting like a lump today, my head so close to my computer screen I can practically taste it. I’m aimless, lacking creativity and zest, so with that, I’m going to get up from this chair, take a little walk around the house, and sit back down and get back to work.

January 6

The plane is bouncing, that and its roaring engine noise and the giggling girls in the back make me uncomfortable and edgy.

January 7

I watch and listen to my great-niece Alyssa perform her Bat Mitzvah Torah portions and I remember my own almost fifty-nine years ago. I wore a navy blue shirtwaist dress trimmed in white with a little embroidered peter-pan collar. And coincidentally after Alyssa’s service my cousin gave me an old black and white photo of me in that dress.

Alyssa

January 8

The sun beams down on the snowy fir tree branches. It looks like a holiday greeting card outside today. Unfortunately, puddles are forming underneath already.

January 9

The cold dry high altitude air has made everything dry – my throat is scratchy, my skin itches, my eyes are red and runny, and my cuticles are peeling off in shreds. I’m glad to be back to my warm damp beach climate.