It’s a week before Purim, and instead of preparing for another full day of work or gathering my energy to take care of my (multiple) children with special needs, I am baking little challahs and freezing them. Not for Shabbos – I always get my challos from the bakery. No, my efforts are just in order to be able to put together a presentable mishloach manos, albeit one that is still quite modest compared to the standards of the community around me. Wouldn’t a cantaloupe and a box of store-bought cookies fulfill the mitzvah just as well? And why do I have to prepare forty packages, when just myself, my husband and our two oldest children are obligated in the mitzvah?
And as for the beautiful packages of candy and cakes, not to mention the over-the-top “theme” mishloach manos – is this the best way for hard working Jewish women to be spending their energy, especially when the true chessed needs in the community are so great?
I have felt this way for many, many years, and I’d like to hear reactions form others. This is a brief letter from a person who is strapped for time, so don’t expect eloquence – but maybe that’s the point.
A freilichen Purim to all.
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60 Responses
It’s very simple. Stop thinking that you have to impress anyone or everyone in your neighborhood or community. You know what the halachic requirements are for your mishloach manos in regard to how many to send and what to have in it. Just stick to that and you will not have to stress yourself out. The only one you have to impress in this world is Hashem. And He would rather see you do other more worthwhile things with your time and money. (By the way, many problems in our community can be solved if people would finally realize that there is no reason to impress others. It really shows a lack of self-confidence and a lack of awareness that Hashem is the only one we need to impress.)
make a point dont do as the joneses (or cohens)
we aren’t this year. Your friends know you will still be your friends even if you aren;t the talk of the town.
Themed Mishloach Manos IMHO is a just a creative outlet for those feeling stifled so if thats not you dont feel pressured
It’s very amusing that everyone is condemning this lady for feeling the need to hold up to the standards of the peoople around her, but unfortunately its true… People spend way too much money and time on having these ostentatious, expensive, and elegant mishloach manos, and aren’t focusing on the mitzvah itself. It’s sad but true, but the people who “go all out” shall we say, also yap about how shvach and simple some people’s are and how fancy and cute and “shticky” other people’s are. People spend more money on their mishloach manos than they do on their matanos levyonim!! PEOPLE! we are missing the point!! If you are spending more money on your mishloach manos then you are on matanos levyonim then you have a problem. you should reevaluate your priorities, and think about the real mitzvah that we are obligated to fulfill and.
Did it ever occur to anyone that some people actually enjoy making pretty mishloach manos-maybe u feel stressed because ur doing it for all the wrong reasons. My mishloach manos experiences are fun for the simple reason that i make it an enjoyable experience. Everyones should do the best they can and not feel they have to live up to anyone-its just like that with weddings and purim baskets-u gotta do what u can-whats good for you-and for crying out loud stop thinking what everyone else is doing or what e/o will think and do something for yourself for once
1.BITUL MOMON!
2.BITUL ZEMAN!
who cares what you give? it has to be 2 different types of food and thats it. who needs extra baskets, ribbons, tissue paper etc. in their home? and then the kids have to finish all the junk b4 pesach-who paying for the dentist bills? enough is enough.
a freilichim purim to all!!
My Mishloach Manos theme this year will be all about Crisis’s of 5768. Please help me assign food items to my list of Crisis’s. Thanks!!
Signed, In a HUGE crisis about my mishloach manos crisis’s theme
Shidduch Crisis
Wedding Crisis (extra luxury – splurging /music volume)
Infertility Crisis
Mortgage Crisis
Tuition Crisis
Big Event / Lipa Crisis
Kol Koreh Crisis
Internet Crisis (this may be the crisis that made all the other crisis’s?)
Pesach Hotel Crisis (overspending)
David Lictenstein / Hillary Crisis
Purim Limo Crisis
Matzah Prices Crisis
Did I miss a Crisis?
This is just another sad example where the essence of the Torah has lost its meaning. Instead of sending mishloach manos to better friendships or fix broken friendships, we send it to bolster our ego and to fit into society. We have only actions without essence.
I’m also planning to send bulkelach – but I plan to buy them since my schedule does not allow me to do them stress free and I’ve chosen to be more relaxed.
so dont do it.
i send out MM to my 4 Rabbaim, that’s it
each one gets a salami sandwich on rye.
(maybe corned beef this year)
do whats best for you
yw please do not label everything a crisis
boy cried wolf
oh
and i forgot
take all the money you save by reducing MM, give it to anyim
youll be happier (in this world, and the next!)
they will be happier
H”BH will be happier
The problem is that people are afraid to be themselves and be judged. I am touched by each and every mishloach manot we get, theme or no theme, big or small.
This year we are doing store-bought cookies and fruit by-the-foot in simple patterned cellophane bags. If someone we give one to would like to look down on us, that’s their problem, not mine.
#7 you missed the crisis crisis
Why in the world would someone buy challos for their family on shabbos but bake challos for shalach manos. What a ridiculous way of structuring your priorities. The system is not the problem here my friend…
okay, this may blow some of you away, especially you newly married girls, but i just got married, and this is the first Purim for me as a married woman. And guess what my mother-in-law is getting?! now don’t freak out… Here goes: a nice bottle of wine, and a homemade cake, with a framed wedding picture, and a nice note attached. Zeh Hu. i’m not looking to go cheap or cheesy, but my goal here is, to stop this mishloach manos mania, where the newly married couples kill themselves to impress their inlaws, and guess what? it’s not appreciated. it’s impressive, but i don’t think it does anything. Purim this year is erev shabbos, so why not give something that is appropiate and can be enjoyed on shabbos? And guess what? nobody needs your ton of nosh and chocolate and huge props in their house a few weeks to pesach. It’s about time people get their priorities straight and cut the cost of mishloach manos. It’s WAY outa hand, my fellow yidden. WAY outa hand.
In Teaneck NJ the Rabonim have recognized this as an issue a long time ago and every year send a letter out to the Kehilla to this effect. These letters have been very successful and the change is very noticeable. In fact one of our local charities prepares mishloach manot that have only two items in a nicely wrapped box and it is common for people to purchase those and thereby fulfill matanos leaniyim at the same time.
This is just one of many areas of conspicuous consumption (along with McMansions, weddings, etc.) that needs to be shamed out of our community.
everyone should do what they can – ppl who are creative- let them have fun! yeah its pathetic when ppl pay others to plan their theme – but to do it on ur own! enjoy and have fuN!
and simchas purim! dont think into it so much!
to #7 – that is really very cute – you could send people wishes that they be rich as Croeseus (korach) which seems to be a significant answer to many of the crisis out there – then you can send Crown Gold, or Chocolate Coins etc etc.
I don’ think making shaloch manos should be a pressure. I for one love to have fun with my Shaloch Manos, and make different themes every year. But if you find it hard, just send something plain and simple. Everyone enjoys those too.
While it may not be a crisis, it has gotten way out of hand already. One feels out of place if they just bring something nice and simple. Everyone feels they need to have the “WOW” factor or their mishloach manos is just not good enough.
oh please grow up! no one is forcing you to make a “fancy” shalach manos if you dont want to or dont approve of it. I love doing it – this is the one time of year that i can do something creative and fun for a mitzvah. i cant stand it that people are bashing other people for creating standards- stop being such a follower and stick up for yourself if you dont want to do it. sheesh!
I’m not sure the Mishloach Manos issue rises to crisis level. My sense is that this is one of those money driven issues where the majority of people are comfortable more or less what suits them.
#7- You missed the Lakewood Brain Drain Crisis- Ayen Yated Neeman – Siman Birnbaum!
TO comment # 3 There are some people that enjoy and take pride in making themed shaloch monos. I don’t think that you should say that they’re stifled. I also don’t think that it’s bitul zman either because the person that’s creating these themed shaloch monos is doing it leshem mitzvah. She is spending time to do the mitzvah of misholoch monos. Everybody should do what they think is good for them and not criticize others for their efforts. HAPPY PURIM
5, I was all prepared to agree with you. There are people out there who love to get super original et. with this mitzvah, just as there others who love cleaning, laundry, or other physical aspects of being an akeres habayis. But this young woman is clearly under some local, societal pressure, combined with her extra needs kids. Yes, people manage to do all sorts of things, simchas etc. and you know what, if they have special circumstances, hopefully they get help.
So letter writer, we do feel for you and hope you get the chizuk to do whatever you need. May you have a freilichen Purim, and enjoy all the mitzvos of the day!
08701lkwd – GREAT!!
i am very creative & for many years made very nice packages
however there have been years that between work & my family i was unable to do so
so guess what i did?????
I DIDNT!!! 🙂
i bought 2 items wrapped it up & gave it!
i was not embarrassed nor did i feel any pressure!!!
this is a choice -to feel that you need to follow others – i choose to do what works for me & not what i perceive others expectc or what the latest trend is!
anyone who feels otherwise has issues within themselves!!
to everyone else – enjoy creating,baking,packaging etc!!
Crisis, there is no crises, I am not an artistic person and this is the one time I can really be creative and do a mitzvah, my neighbors can’t wait to see what I’m doing next and believe it or not I usually stay on a very tight budget. You now what I’m giving challah and grape juice and I’m sure my friends will enjoy it, yes I will be making the challah myself, but I can’t remember the last time I bought Challah, so when I made challah today I made a few extra ones for next week. I get plenty of shaloch manos that don’t fit any theme and plenty that are done on a very tight budget and we enjoy all of them.
#7, you missed Bochurim coming to shul late crisis.
I am ba’al t’shuvah, and the first year I made mishloach manos they were beautiful, works of art literally, (I am an artist) in part for thanking all the people who put me up for Shabbas, answered all my endless questions and arguments etc. For me that was just one year, for special. Maybe some people are able to feel that grateful to everyone, every year.
Years later, married, baruch HaShem, mishloach manos came to be an issue in our home also. For different reasons, both my husband & I felt we were in “positions” where it was important to not make anyone feel “left out” We are in a smaller community and were delivering still at least 60 or 70 packages! Even with planning ahead, very humble packages, and eating the seudah out, I was a wreck. (My husband’s “position” means he works on Purim, and sometimes he needs my help as well.)
We’ve changed that. We now deliver maybe 1/2 dozen packages each, to close friends, a few socially struggling folks who we are friendly with, who might not get from anyone else, and maybe someone we had a problem with during the year.
Then I make simple Purim cards of my own, listing a group of charities I am giving money to in everyone’s name and photocopy them. There is already an organization in town that sells Purim cards, so I include them in the list, and make sure to give to them at least their usual amount per card. My list of organizations is quite varied, so hopefully all the varied people I mail them to will see something that especially pleases them. So the post office gets some (non-tzedakah) stamp money, but I do not spend Purim running all over town, or coordinating trading and sorting packages with a friend so we each only go half the places.
Doing this not only eases the mishloach manos stresses, it ensures that I catch up on my tzedakah disbursement. It refocuses me on helping others. We have a seperate (free) tzedakah checking account, and I am careful to set the money aside at regular intervals, but life gets busy and I often fall behind sending it out. Purim takes care of that, a good t’shuvah.
And now on Purim I have time for saying extra prayers. We are told our prayers are particularly powerful, yet before I barely got time to daven before megillah reading. Now, through out the year I make a list of all the things I especially want to pray for with that gift of extra power, so many I couldn’t possibly do all that each day, pages of names for shiduchim and refuahs and parnassah and kinder and that Israel & all our communities should grow stronger to better serve HaShem. And I get to sit with them and really talk to HaShem about all this. I feel l’havdil, like Esther, sticking my nose in the Kings chamber and bringing some important matters to his attention… (as if He didn’t already know)but maybe, just maybe, somehow it will matter if it is I who says it on this day, because I am feeling that I am close to Him.
We only get to make so many Purims in our life time. Doing Purim this way, with the tzedakah cards and the prayers, and just a few mishloach manos, well that feels more like a Purim I would be comfortable bringing before Hashem when the time comes.
A happy and healthy and safe and POWERFUL PRAYERFUL Purim to all.
While the letter writer may read some of these comments telling her to not succumb to the pressure of all of these other people sending fancy things, and then she’ll finally resolve to stop baking all of those challas, and to send a lollypop and an apple to a couple of people. Then she’s going to have to CHOOSE THOSE PEOPLE, and she’s going to think she should get more lollypops and apples. Then she’s going to start RECEIVING other people’s fancy shalach monos, and she’s going to think she has to upgrade her shalach monos ASAP. So then she’ll run to the bakery to buy a bunch of challas (I assume the reason is because of eruv shabbos Purim) to send with her apples and lollypops. I’m sorry Mrs. Letter Writer, but I doubt you can win. Stick to the challas and don’t bother with the other stuff,
(P.S. By the way, shalch monos is supposed to promote achva v’rayus amongst people, so how can you begrudge them for wanting to send to as many people as possible? And some people feel that they have to express the friendship elaborately; that’s the way they do everything, they’re used to it. They’re not necessarily trying to make a competition about it.
People need to start learning to be self-confident. You can’t always be afraid of what others think. Make whatever MM you want & feif un the velt!
If you don’t enjoy going overboard, don’t. Put together what you want to and hand them out with pride. No one has ever spit in my face when I’ve given them a small cake and a piece of fruit or candy.
give a simple misloach manos and write the money saved on this was given to so and so org. in your zechus
I am a working woman who gets a real kick out of making shalach manos (no themes but I like it interesting) I find it very satisfying and sort of relaxing (in a frantic sort of way) But, by no means should one feel pressured to do anything beyond what they have time or patience for (as long as you are fulfilling the mitzvah) Peer pressure is an awful thing that should be combatted with this issue and many others.
Correct me if I am wrong but the pressure to make fancy shlach manos by and large takes place in Brooklyn and Lakewood ( which is becoming an off spring of Brooklyn). Out of town places just don’t have that living up to the Jonses pressure. Brooklyn has that sick mentality and it drives me insane.
UPDATE: Ok my Mishloach Manos theme of this year Crisis’s is coming together:
Shidduch Crisis – dried dates
Wedding Crisis – chocolate covered jelly ring
Infertility Crisis – fruits (may you be fruitful)
Mortgage Crisis –chocolate coins / dollars (or the winkeys candy coins)
Tuition Crisis – MORE chocolate coins with an apple
Big Event / Lipa Crisis – a instant soup that’s says in BIG letters “NO MSG”
Kol Koreh Crisis – a big jaw breaker
Internet Crisis –a big fire ball
Pesach Hotel Crisis – a BIG & FANCY chocolate covered macaroon with the Hiltons logo on the foil.
David Lictenstein / Hillary Crisis – sour stiks and lots of big NUTS
Purim Limo Crisis – fruit by the foot
Matzah Prices Crisis – Manochevitz machine matza ($1 Lb.) with the price tag on it
Rabbi levin’s “bubble gum croud” Crisis – gum balls
Any thing else?
What do you do if you come to the door and are handed an expensive fancy MM ? Are you gonna hand them some wafers and an apple?
David Hamelech said it best. “Shomer Pisayim Hashem”.
I think we have a Crisis, crisis.
Last year was my last year. Baking cookies, delivering dozens of shalach manos and making the seuda for my in-laws (who were in the middle of a move), brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their B”H large families. This year, especially since it’s erev Shabbos, we’re only giving to relatives in the city and all our friends are getting cards that we gave tzedakka—which is widely accepted in my circle of friends.
First of all I wanted to point out a different point totally.
Its so nice that you are baking chalos for your mishloach manos (except of course for the fact that you arent enjoying it) but I have one thing that may make you want to save time and not bake. Especially intown, people are makipid on very different hechsherim and chumros or halachos however you want to put it. (e.g. yashan). My mother used to spend hours baking cakes for mishloach manos each year.
And Guess what???? When I was over at other ppls house, they would collect all baked goods and throw them out on the spot (except for a few that they were positive was what they were comfortable with.)
point being that a lot of ppl wont eat baked goods out of others houses. This obviously isnt everyone but while you are contemplating about baking think if the ppl you are sendig it to will appreciate it and indulge in it or if they would rather appreciate something with a clear siman of a hechsher.
As for the going over board- I happen to think it is ridiculous to do anything b/c of what ppl will say but I cant judge you b/c you apparently feel the need to be looked up to and not chalila to be different. You can simply throw together a very cute inexpensive MM to satisfy your need or simply just give in and say forget it. this year I will give a pashut MM with a nice big friendly smile.
Or of course you can continue to run yourself ragged and make extravagant MM to be “wow”ed by all your expecting such recievers!
Hatzlacha. I think Baruch Hashem this is suchan easy Crisis to fix!!!!!
Hi all,
Isn’t the mitzvah of mishloach manos to give food for the seudah? And to the best of my knowledge, candies, lollipops, fruit roll up, etc. is not served at the seudah…
od yeshvu- by the way part of MishManos. is to bring ahava veachva to your friends. Rabbi Yuden spoke beautifully this morning on Jm in the Am mentioning that you are telling your friend I wish you could participate with me in my seuda so here is something to include in the seuda OR at least here is some dessert to enjoy as I wish you could have been with me at my Seuda. Hope that answers you.
Good Shabbos…. afrelichen….
#45
from daily Halachah on YWN:
One should send food that can be eaten by the seuda to at least one person.
First of all, there is nothing wrong with making a simple package. You could by a roll of colored cellophane and wrap each package you make with it for effect, or to spruce it up a bit. As to the content of the package, no need to go overboard, some cookies and candies will do. Also, the smaller children should have packages to give, for chinuch purposes, and so that they have something to give to 1 or 2 close friends. Make it fun for them by having them make their own wrapping paper (done by coloring on several sheets of printer paper), or bake some cookies or hamentaschen with them. One other point: There is no need to make a package for everyone you know! You are only chayav to give to ONE person. If there are a few people who you feel you must include, fine, but don’t make for 30 families! If you don’t receiva mishloach manos from someone you were expecting it from, dan lechaf zechus and assume it was because they maybe only gave to a few people. A big part of the problem is that we are afraid of insulting someone, so we go to the trouble of sending to everyone!
here’s a question: I live on a wonderful block with many frum families-about 19 in total, B”H. Do we give to them all? Even something simple? “Everybody” always has, so we do too, but it’s alot. I’ve spoken to a few people about this and they didn’t want to rock the boat. Although I don’t have so much to do with all of them, we do things together as a block, like a simcha fund and tehillim.
49, Why dont you be proud and stand up for yourself if it is too much. Come on, you can do it! Send all your neighbors a nice letter (that I am sure you can handle) stating that you gave a donationin their honor to tzedaka!! Send a few quietly a mishloach manos in an unassuming way and ppl will understand! And then true to your word give some tzedaka and have your whole block in mind. Hatzlacha.
What do you do if you come to the door and are handed an expensive fancy MM ? Are you gonna hand them some wafers and an apple?
You express your thanks for such a beautiful MM basket and then you hand them your (generic) ziploc bag with an apple and cookies and with them a Purim Sameach with pride. It can be done and there is nothing wrong with not trying to keep up. Do what you can do and let others do what they can do.
I have to just say – what is this world coming to? You have no problem sharing with the world thst you are pathetic and have to keep up with the rest of the world. What is wrong with you? do whatever YOU want. If you can’t do that then something is wrong with YOU not the rest of the world.
to #52-
I hope that you said that as a joke. Mishloach Manos, while definately getting out of hand in many circles, is a mitzvah! “A generic ziploc bag” does not exactly beautify the mitzva, although you may be yotzei.
We all need to remember that this is a mitzvah, perhaps even more than others, since the purpose is to increase shalom between yidden(read the latest daily halachos here), and more SHALOM is what this world needs most right now!
So don’t spend $$$$ to impress people, or to “keep up”, but to do a very special mitzvah. Kavana is everything! What Chinuch do you want to pass on? Oy, MM is too much, so here’s a (generic)ziploc? Or, here’s a lovely, simple MM. ?
A freilechen Purim to everyone!
To # 54
“We all need to remember that this is a mitzvah,”
So it hearing the megillah. Do you use a chumash provided by the shul or do you have a beautifully hand written on the most expensive klaf megillah to lain from yourself? It is no less a mitzvah than MM.
“perhaps even more than others, since the purpose is to increase shalom between yidden(read the latest daily halachos here),”
No matter what the REASON, no mitzvah is more important no matter what the reason behind the mitzvah. I would argue that more money should be spent on Matanos LiEvyonim than MM as the mitzvah of ML is to give to 2 people while MM is only to 1.
“and more SHALOM is what this world needs most right now!”
Yes it does, and if people wouldnt be happy with what they had and did not feel the need to impress others with what they have (or dont have, this includes the need to “respond in kind”), which is the ultimate in low self esteem, which Slabodka mussar lists as a primary source of gaayvah and all sorts of negative charachter traits, people would be genuinely happy for each other and we would have plenty of Shalom.
“So don’t spend $$$$ to impress people, or to “keep up”, but to do a very special mitzvah.”
But remember, to keep in mind what chazal say about how much one should spend on “hiddur mitzvah”.
“Kavana is everything! What Chinuch do you want to pass on? Oy, MM is too much, so here’s a (generic)ziploc? Or, here’s a lovely, simple MM.”
With all due respect I believe it is who who were concered about “returning in kind”. Is THAT the message you want to pass along to the next generation?!?
Could everyone stop making everything into a major crisis! If you enjoy doing this shalach manos theme shmantzeray then by all means do it as a hobby, but if you don’t enjoy it and it becomes a pain, then noone really needs it! It’ s the thought that counts,really – and ofcourse the mitzvah. Let us not care so much about what our Hungarian friends are gonna say about our “adorable” theme!
Number #54: Please don’t mussar me. I’m not the one caught up in the reciprocation mess that the original letter writer and others are caught up in.
While I’m not giving in a Ziploc bag (I believe I have in the past when work threw me some challenges before Purim), I’m giving in bags decorated by my kids with treats prepared by my kids. And the bags look, well, um, like they were decorated by young children.
So, yes this is the chinuch I want to pass on. My kids are having a blast making treats and decorating the packages. They are helping with this important mitzva in a hands on way, rather than watching me fork over a credit card for overpriced chazari and beautiful casings to impress the neighbors. And all one of my kids can talk about is which neighbors he is going to visit on Purim day and which singles and widowers that we host should get packages. I’m not a perfect parent, but I think I’m doing something right.
Orthonomics:
I was not mussaring you. But if you took it as mussar and you benefited from it, I will gladly take credit for doing so.
You shudder at the thought of MM given in a ziploc bag, yet it might be all someone can afford financially. It’s great that your kids decorate bags for you to hand out your MM and its great that they will always have such a memory.
Whatever positives they gain from such an experience are far outweighed by any negative expression or comment made by their parents about the person who delivers MM in a Ziploc bag.
It’s all I was saying to you specifically.
I was repeating a theme repeated by many people here already, to anyone who might be reading, namely, do what you feel is proper and not what your neighbor thinks is proper or what you think your neighbor thinks is proper or what you hope your neighbor thinks is proper.
The Schmoozer,
You clearly cannot read and comprehend. I am sorry for being rude. YOU are the person who told me it was inappropriate to give in a ziploc bag and was not appropriate for the mitzvah.
I wrote that I am not giving in ziploc bags this year, but have in the past. I see no reason not to give treats in a ziploc bag. The competition that takes place is out of control and deserving of mussar. I’ve given plenty of it on my own blog.
You are the one who insulted those who would give in a less than “appropriate” container. I have tried to promote the idea of being modest. But there is an obvious communication problem.
I do NOT “shudder at the thought of MM given in a ziploc bag. I would do so again this year, but my kids decided to decorate brown paper bags and let me tell you. . . . they look far worse and I’m proud to hand them out with small treats anyway.
Apparantly quotation marks dont mean anything to you, only the words contained in between them. These little signs ” and ” indicate that the words in between them are quotations of someone elses words. I was commenting on the words that I was quoting, which I believe came from an earlier posting of yours.
Perhaps I have issues with reading comprehension, but in # 54 you imply that MM is such an important mitzvah that we should not say “here is MM in a ziploc bag”. You are implying it doesnt generate shalom or show the proper respect for such an important mitzvah. If you didnt mean that, then what DID you mean?
Whatever it is that you meant, it is still true that whatever positive lessons your kids will learn from the creation of their own bags, it will all be lost with the slightest negative facial expression or comment if/when someone does send over MM in a ziploc bag.
I’m sorry shmoozer, I’m the one who can’t keep all the numbers straight today also. Commentor #54 came down on me (commentor #52) for suggesting one return a modest mishloach manot and I replied to him (#54) and you (#55) also replied to him, but somehow the numbers got crossed and you ended up criticizing me when we actually were on the same page regarding this MM madness.
I vote, give MM on in a paper bag (decorated by your kids if they so please) or in a ziploc bag. There is nothing wrong with it and no one will spit in your face.
Perhaps the owner of the Yeshiva World Website could help us all out by putting the commentor name on the top of the comment, not the bottom. It is just too hard to keep everyones comments straight.
My apologies.
Orthonomics,
I would love to be your neighbor and exchange MM with you. Your family sounds lovely, and I can really relate.
A Freilichin Purim/Chag Sameach
Sarah, Thanks. I’m still hoping theshmoozer will see my apologies because all of the comments got mixed up here and that the administators will move the name of the commentor to the top like blogger does.
very cute #14