Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people Living for today
Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people Living life in peace
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one I
magine no possessions I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people Sharing all the world
You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one
John Lennon IMAGINE
So you have many adults, some teenagers (young to older) and a bunch of kids. Now imagine (because it was real), that NO ONE was fighting with each other. The kids and the younger teens were all playing nicely together and the adults were talking in different combinations.
I do have to admit that the barely controlled chaos of this dinner on the second night of Rosh Hashana caused Abe to run away and hide out playing computer games. But, when I think back over the years where he would've had some sort of outburst, verbal or physical, which would destroy the mood for everyone, the fact that he knows his limits and pulled back was just fine in my book.
But the kids and young teens were all playing together nicely. And this group included more than one special needs kid!! There was a mankala game sitting out on the side of the fireplace- simply because the place where it normally was kept had been moved.
It was so sweet that my little niece came up to me saying, "Auntie Ora, can you teach me how to play this?" (She normally decides that she wants little interaction with me.) So we played and then more of the kids wanted to learn how to play, and then some of the boys asked about another game and someone went downstairs and brought up Battleship. But the kids were all behaving so nicely in the midst of lots of commotion.
Just imagine. It was a holiday dinner in the truest sense of the words. I'm glad that I slaved to put it on. (but it won't happen again for a loonnng time!)
Sounds like a great dinner. L'shana tovah.
Posted by: songbird | September 22, 2009 at 09:19 PM
A family gathering that was happy, happy, happy? Wow!! I'm glad the night went so well and rewarded your work. How fantastic that Abe found a strategy that worked for everyone - acknowledging that it's not his thing and finding an alternate way of spending the evening, yet being at home.
Posted by: Ali | September 25, 2009 at 11:00 PM