“You know Jewish women are crazy?” my friend Rita said to me recently.
We were standing in the aisle of the supermarket with loaded down carts each. I gave Rita a questioning look. I never thought I was crazy but Rita persisted.
“I bet you are shopping for some big family get together, aren’t you?” she said eyeing my bulging cart. I hemmed and hawed because I was planning a summer get together.
“And I bet you also worked at least a few hours today…” Well I did have some deadlines to meet, I thought honestly.
“The boys are on vacation, right? Did you take them somewhere today? To a pool, a park, the beach?” I thought in my mind that I had driven the boys to the pool but they would take the bus home. The only problem was that my second youngest son had hurt his foot and wasn’t interested in being in a pool and so he was boooored. After too many phone calls, I found an equally bored friend who was home. I dropped my half of the boring duo off while I did the shopping. I would then go home and set things up for the get-together. It’s not meant to be fancy; just fruit, cake and snacks.
Rita wasn’t giving up. “Have you started with the school supply shopping yet? And what about wrapping all those books? You don’t even have any girls to give you a hand with this.”
She got me on this one. Yes, I had purchased all the necessary school books, notebooks, paper, plastic not to mention pens, pencils, glue and more to start the year off right. Everything was sitting neatly in bags waiting to be sorted. When was I going to get around to organizing all this and getting those books wrapped? I started to panic.
Rita was on a roll. “Don’t worry, as soon as everyone is finally settle back at school, you will be busier than ever.” I looked at her blankly. “First you will want to get your house back into shape after the vacation earthquake.” I nodded mutely. “Then you will want to start freezing food for all the upcoming holidays. You won’t stop.”
She’s right…but I will also need to take stock of what the boys need for the upcoming holidays. More white shirts? A new tie or shoes. The list is endless and I don’t even have girls to dress.
Rita waited for my response but upon watching my speechless state, she retorted, “See? I told you nobody does what Jewish women do. Who else in the world does all this? We won’t add that you try to get to exercise regularly, visit your parents and in-laws frequently, even running errands for them. You are also available to help out a sibling or friend in need.”
I let a long breath out. I guess it is a lot. Rita took hold of her shopping cart, smiled sweetly and said, “See aren’t Jewish women crazy?”
I mulled over her words one last time, Yes perhaps crazy but certainly fulfilled.
**In the picture me and my little ones in a “crazy” bike trip**
