You know, while I was mulling over whether to place a courtesy call to my favorite ice cream man in the whole world, something occurred to me:
If we really appreciated the preciousness (is that a word?) of a single day sober with Hashem and His precious people, things would be different for many of us. We wouldn't let the past color the good times vomit-green. We wouldn't feel like giving up when we fell.
I believe that Reb b has some perspective on that. And it makes all the difference. I first learned of this in action from Reb Tzvi-Meyer - next from Reb b. And it's the way Hashem Himself operates: He is at a beis ho-oveil being menachem yidden with shredded hearts right now, r"l, and simultaneously at a leibedigeh chasuna somewhere bringing intense simcha to another family's hearts. He doesn't "lose perspective" at all, because they are both true - both reality - at the same time! R' Tzvi-Meyer says this is why Hashem can love us even if we have done bad things and are a mess: because He does not forget about the Good in us...it's still there...no steerah to Hashem. We, unfortunately, often do forget. Maybe that's why we are called "enosh" - as in "nosheh": to jump, or slip from it's place (gid hanasheh) - we forget!
If we'd actually appreciate a day with our spouses, if we got one; with our children if we have some; with our jobs if we got one; with our sanity, if we have it; with whatever we've "got" - things would be beautiful even though we fell, lost stuff, screwed some stuff up, in otherwords, were human. "Beautiful" does not have to be "perfect", to still be beautiful.
Just like my spouse, kids, job, sobriety, and self.
Bilti laShem l'vado!! Boom!
Thanks for everything, reb b!
