What a wonderful and deeply insightful essay! One of my nieces is going through a painful divorce, made even more difficult because her husband will not tell her why he no longer loves her, why he moved out of the house, why he wants a divorce, and my niece still loves him. He still sees their 4 year old son. We are all confused as we loved him and were glad for the marriage. He speaks with my brother during exchanges to spend time with his son. My brother remains fond of him, tells me his son in law won't offer any reasons other than he is sorry for any pain he has caused his daughter but happy for the life they created, his son. He denies being in a relationship. He continues to pay the bills and mortgage for the house, and child care expenses, plus the cost of his new apartment, all on the salary of an electrician.
Vanessa, that was a truly moving and heartfelt read. Thank you. There was a lot to digest, and whilst your analogy of Shabbat being a weekly event / change in our lives, relationships are usually far longer and far more complex. In today’s age, it is often said that our attention spans are under threat, so I must confess to finding it rather a long read, and therefore difficult to absorb each point.
I am often known for my aphorisms, and the one that sprung to mind in reading your beautifully crafted essay, is ‘you might not remember what someone said to you, but you’ll remember how they make you feel’.
Thank you again for compiling such a moving article.
A lovely piece of writing, Vanessa, the analogies made appropriate indeed. The fragments of a now lost relationship that remain rich and beautiful can be kept by us in our hearts as sustenance, and with pleasure, thus enriching us. Thus the loss can be borne.
Yes, this was beautiful and I think it applies to losing anything that was meaningful to us in our lives.
What a wonderful and deeply insightful essay! One of my nieces is going through a painful divorce, made even more difficult because her husband will not tell her why he no longer loves her, why he moved out of the house, why he wants a divorce, and my niece still loves him. He still sees their 4 year old son. We are all confused as we loved him and were glad for the marriage. He speaks with my brother during exchanges to spend time with his son. My brother remains fond of him, tells me his son in law won't offer any reasons other than he is sorry for any pain he has caused his daughter but happy for the life they created, his son. He denies being in a relationship. He continues to pay the bills and mortgage for the house, and child care expenses, plus the cost of his new apartment, all on the salary of an electrician.
I will forward this essay to my niece.
Beautiful. Thank you.
Sending to my daughter. What a lovely contemplation on love and loss.
Vanessa, that was a truly moving and heartfelt read. Thank you. There was a lot to digest, and whilst your analogy of Shabbat being a weekly event / change in our lives, relationships are usually far longer and far more complex. In today’s age, it is often said that our attention spans are under threat, so I must confess to finding it rather a long read, and therefore difficult to absorb each point.
I am often known for my aphorisms, and the one that sprung to mind in reading your beautifully crafted essay, is ‘you might not remember what someone said to you, but you’ll remember how they make you feel’.
Thank you again for compiling such a moving article.
A lovely piece of writing, Vanessa, the analogies made appropriate indeed. The fragments of a now lost relationship that remain rich and beautiful can be kept by us in our hearts as sustenance, and with pleasure, thus enriching us. Thus the loss can be borne.
A new perspective that truly helps. Thankful and grateful for you thoughts and insight!
Thank you
Thanks very much.
Very touching, thoughtful, and insightful in linking the meaning of Jewish events to personal ones
🙏🙏🙏👍😍