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December’s Bittersweet Magic

December 22, 2018 in Age Matters, Cat Lady Matters, Essays, Music Matters, Spirit Matters

This time of year is always bittersweet for me. When I was a girl, unspoken battles raged between my Episcopalian mother and Jewish father over how much Christmas was going to make it into our house. Since then, I’ve felt guilty if I’ve leaned too far into the pageantry, deprived of magic if I haven’t.

It got more complicated as the years passed and I grew more devoutly alone–do you really get a tree just for yourself? Drag out the ornaments you’ve quietly collected over the years? Continue Reading →

Winter Solstice Faith

December 21, 2018 in Astro Matters, Spirit Matters, Weather Matters

All hail winter solstice–the longest night pierced by the greatest light. To me, this is truly the most magical day of the year, for to find our way out of such looming darkness we must summon extraordinary power. Miracles, in fact. Early Christians decided to celebrate Jesus’ birthday this time of year not just to override the pagans (blergh) but because they recognized that we must be most pregnant with faith when the sunlight is at its sparses, when the earth its most barren. This is the faith that creates nothing from something–that grants Mary her immaculate birth, that keeps the oil burning for eight days for the Maccabees. It is the same faith that reminds us love can subsume even the worst of black holes. Here, at this turning point of the year and of our country, on this hardest and holiest of days, we are in dire need of such faith. We must listen, we must light, and we must love. All my heart to each of yours.

The Jury Is In

December 20, 2018 in City Matters, Country Matters, Listing

Some thoughts on landing on a jury for the first half of January.
1. It could have been so much worse–some people in my pool were roped into month-long service.
2. I’m going to appreciate non-institutionalized time so much more when my service is done.
3. I am infinitely more enthusiastic about the judicial process now that the courts are the most effective deterrent to Trump’s nefariousness.
4. I adore downtown Brooklyn, and rarely visit it since moving to Williamsburg 16 years ago. En route to the courts I bought earrings at the corner of Jay St– NYC accessorization at its best–and swooned over the serious BK lady sidewalk style.
5. The eating is good! As I type this, I’m eating cheapo Sahadi’s black caviar slathered on a Mile’s End bagel with a half-sour Kosher pickle.
6. I’m fairly certain I conjured this experience because I’ve been mainlining The Good Fight, the most progressive, envelope-pushing TV drama no one is watching. (I blame the CBS All Access platform.) I adore strong legal dramas, and have convinced myself that in an alternate universe, I am a Diane Lockhart-style badass.
So, yeah: it’s all in how you look at it.

"All, everything I understand, I understand only because I love."
― Leo Tolstoy