Hashkafah Pratit
It's funny how some things work themselves out...
I love Shabbat because it is a very personal and community oriented experience. Personal, because we are personally commanded to accept the Sabbath upon ourselves, and we do so with our own personal fervor, struggles and simcha. Community, because as a community we pray, eat, and laugh, and rest together.
Usually whenever I spend Shabbat at home I'm sleeping, eating, or skulking. I don't come from an observant background, and I became religious in college. Because it was such a personal journey and because religion is such a sensitive subject, I would never dream of forcing my observant [sometimes excessive] practices on anyone, especially my parents. That's why I usually just go into the other room and read->nap when my family turns on the TV or works in the office. It's boring and un-Shabbostick, but I deal. In order to make me happy/more comfortable, my parents would make a Friday night meal, then go about their busienss. This past Shabbat, however, I decided that although it's wonderful to bring the Kedushah of Shabbat/Friday night meal to a home that would not experience it otherwise is beautiful and worth the discomfort, I should probably try to find a family in the community to stay by just to make life easier.
After accepting an invitation to a friend's house for Shababt, breaking the news to my parents, then later finding out that she had a stomache virus all week + her mom was out of town so I wouldn't be able to spend the weekend by her, I was disappointed and ready for another sleep-fest.
In short, I think the only way to describe the past 25 hours is "family." I have never felt more attatched or closer to my parents in my whole 17 years of living at home. Shabbat dinner was nice, quiet and wholesome. Saturday morning my mom and I got up early, walked 45 minutes to Meyerland Minyan in time to hear my Bat Mitzvah portion [Pekudei], and during Kiddush, four different families went up to us, introduced themselves, and invited us over for a meal. My mom and I ended up going to my 6th grade Math teacher's house for a deliscious meal and some wonderful catching up. After walking home we read for the rest of the afternoon with my dad. No tv, no work, no worries. Just family and peace.
This is the most beautiful Shabbat I have ever had.
I love Shabbat because it is a very personal and community oriented experience. Personal, because we are personally commanded to accept the Sabbath upon ourselves, and we do so with our own personal fervor, struggles and simcha. Community, because as a community we pray, eat, and laugh, and rest together.
Usually whenever I spend Shabbat at home I'm sleeping, eating, or skulking. I don't come from an observant background, and I became religious in college. Because it was such a personal journey and because religion is such a sensitive subject, I would never dream of forcing my observant [sometimes excessive] practices on anyone, especially my parents. That's why I usually just go into the other room and read->nap when my family turns on the TV or works in the office. It's boring and un-Shabbostick, but I deal. In order to make me happy/more comfortable, my parents would make a Friday night meal, then go about their busienss. This past Shabbat, however, I decided that although it's wonderful to bring the Kedushah of Shabbat/Friday night meal to a home that would not experience it otherwise is beautiful and worth the discomfort, I should probably try to find a family in the community to stay by just to make life easier.
After accepting an invitation to a friend's house for Shababt, breaking the news to my parents, then later finding out that she had a stomache virus all week + her mom was out of town so I wouldn't be able to spend the weekend by her, I was disappointed and ready for another sleep-fest.
In short, I think the only way to describe the past 25 hours is "family." I have never felt more attatched or closer to my parents in my whole 17 years of living at home. Shabbat dinner was nice, quiet and wholesome. Saturday morning my mom and I got up early, walked 45 minutes to Meyerland Minyan in time to hear my Bat Mitzvah portion [Pekudei], and during Kiddush, four different families went up to us, introduced themselves, and invited us over for a meal. My mom and I ended up going to my 6th grade Math teacher's house for a deliscious meal and some wonderful catching up. After walking home we read for the rest of the afternoon with my dad. No tv, no work, no worries. Just family and peace.
This is the most beautiful Shabbat I have ever had.