Sometimes, we lose sight of things and don't even know it...
For the past several weeks, I had been wishing that the Twinks will be born on 11/11/11. Not only is it an easy date to remember, but it's Veteran's Day (What better way to honor the men and women who served and allow us to continue to live in this beautiful country in freedom?), it's my mother-in-law's birthday, and on a more selfish note, since family does not live near us, it would be easier to travel to celebrate birthdays because it's early enough before the "high" season for Thanksgiving airfares (What can I say? That's why I'm "Flygirl" - always thinking about travel and my next big adventure).
When I talked to my nurse this week, she said that the doctor would like me to go a full 38 weeks and prefers the date of November 18th. Although I trust my doctor's judgement, I was a bit disappointed because I was so focused on the "perfect" date of 11/11/11.
Today, I went to morning minyan services (a small, intimate Shabbat morning service where we read the Torah). I mentioned the date of November 18th to one of the other women who I am getting to know and she reminded me the meaning of the 18 in Judaism...I had totally forgot!
In Hebrew, the number 18 is "Chai" (חַי) and means "alive" or "living." To Jews everywhere, the number eighteen resonates deeply - as does every multiple of eighteen. Some say Chai refers to the Living G-d; others say it simply reflects Judaism's focus on the importance of life. There have been various mystical numerological speculations about the fact that, according to the system of gematria, the letters of chai add up to 18. For this reason, 18 is a spiritual number in Judaism, and many Jews give gifts of money in multiples of 18.
It consists of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet Chet (ח) and Yod (י). Among all Jews, both religious and secular, the toast לחיים ("l´chaim"), which means "to life", is frequently used when celebrating something, such as one of the high holidays, birthdays, weddings etc. You might have even seen women or men wearing a necklace with this symbol, be familiar with the song from Fiddler On the Roof L'Chaim,
Chai is also a popular root word in Hebrew names. Chaya, derived from Chai is a popular female name in Hebrew, and Chaim is the very popular male version. The biblical Eve's name is חַוָּה ("Chava") in Hebrew, also derived from the same root as Chai.
As I was first getting to know my Rabbi, he gave me a very special gift - a book called Three Times Chai - 54 Rabbis Tell Their Favorite Stories by Laney Katz Becker.
As Laney states, she wrote the book during:
"...my struggle to find a way to celebrate life at a time when a series of health crises left me feeling lost, angry, sad and - in spite of tremendous support form my loving family and amazing friends - very much alone. In truth, I also felt abandoned and even betrayed; where was God?"
As a woman struggling with (or who has ever faced the uncertainty of) infertility, does this sound familiar? It certainly does to me!
In the book, fifty-four rabbis, from all branches of Judaism, tell their favorite stories—classic Bible stories, rabbinic and modern commentaries, folktales, and legends. Each story, ranging in length from one to seven pages, reflects a Jewish ideal or value and is told in the individual rabbi's unique speaking style. Each concludes with a note from the contributor explaining the story's lesson and why it is the rabbi's favorite.
To me, the book was just like a box of chocolates - at first I wanted to read every story straight through, but I quickly realized that it was a book to be savored and enjoyed - so I disciplined myself to read one story at a time and think about it's meaning. It's also a book I know I will share with my children when they are old enough to begin to understand some of the stories, and come back to again-and-again.
Ever since I received this gift, it has been displayed on a bookshelf near my bedside. I didn't think anything about it until today.
I now think November 18th is a beautiful delivery date and I can't imagine any other!
