Honoring the Mothers in Our Lives

by Rabbi Debra Smith

Our most recent Chai Mitzvah Mussar class explored the topic of gratitude, specifically hakarat ha-tov (recognizing the good).

We discussed ways that we can remember the good things that people have done for us throughout our lives and how we can honor that tradition by giving back to others, even the smallest good things or gestures.

While facilitating the discussion, I acknowledged the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday and said that I was going to take that opportunity to remember and enumerate some of the endless good things that my mother had done for me throughout my life.

I would like to take this blog space and opportunity to mention a few of the many gifts my mother bestowed upon me throughout my life.

I am grateful to my mother, Estelle Weinberger, for teaching me the following:
• To always love what I do and do what I love.
• To look for and create ways to enjoy life each day.
• To try to help others and to speak to and deal with other people with softness and compassion.
• To have many interests in life and in the world around me.
• To be a lifelong learner.
• To have faith in God.

These are but a few of the things in the legacy my mother has left me.

Please know that I’m thinking about you today, mom, and loving you and feeling grateful to you for giving me the gift of life and for teaching me how to live my life in a meaningful way.

I hope others will take a few minutes to honor the “mothers “ in their lives in a similar way.

Dedicated to my mom, Estelle Weinberger