Life is like a picture postcard.
It might have been a while, but you surely remember what it's like writing a postcard from your vacation getaway. At first, you're not quite sure what you want to say, so you write regular sized letters. As you progress, new ideas come to mind, so you write a little smaller to make sure you can fit it all in. Yet more ideas come to mind and as the remaining space continues to diminish, you write ever smaller, ultimately crawling up the side and over the other side of the postcard, until the microscopic letters have managed to squeeze in every last idea you wanted to say.
Our lives are like that too. When we're young, we think, indeed we're certain, that we have all the time in the world to do whatever our hearts desire. With reckless abandon, we do whatever we want, whenever we desire. Just like the beginning of a postcard. As we mature, we begin to realize that our days aren't quite as limitless as we'd like to think. We begin to live a little more consciously, lives a little more focused on our purpose. As we grow even older, it becomes quite clear to us that we have little time left to accomplish all the great things we would still like to do. We begin to cram things in, trying to make each day count, just like the final scribbled lines on the wring side of the postcard.
If only, we could have planned better when we were young. If only we could've budgeted properly, we would've had all the time and space that we needed.
Time is our most precious resource. No one is wealthy when it comes to time. Each moment can be wasted thoughtlessly or applied preciously.
Just last week, as I was studying a particularly deep and sensitive topic with a group of ladies, they expressed dismay that they 'hadn't known this beautiful information when they were raising their kids at home'! It happens so often that we wish we knew or did something when we were younger.
The Torah portion this week provides us with the antidote to this wasteful predicament. Ki Sisa- 'Count' is the very name of the Portion. When we make each day count, then the years take care of themselves.
This Shabbos, I have the good fortune of leading our community's teen delegation to the international Jewish Teenagers Shabbaton in NYC, joining 2000 Jewish Teens from 27 countries and 6 continents! These teens study with me every week and are joining thousands of their peers for a magical weekend, that will embolden their spirits and kindle their souls!
Imagine the Jewish Pride when thousands of Jewish Teens dance to a Jewish Rock Concert at Times Square this Saturday Night? Picture the passion of a Friday Night Shabbos Dinner where they join in song and spirit though they don’t even speak the same language! From Madame Tussauds on Friday, the Gala Banquet on Sunday to the Rebbe’s Holy Resting place, the Ohel, these teens are learning to make their Judaism count when they’re young!
These teenagers have made smart choices to use their most precious years in discovering their Jewish identity and connecting proudly with young people their age as Jewish Leaders of tomorrow!
This Shabbos, I hope to become a teenager again myself!
Yesterday is only a dream and tomorrow is only a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present!
Lets make it count. One day at a time!
