In our home, every aspect of Purim is taken with extreme fun. Costumes are taken very seriously and are planned months in advance. Ron and I usually dress up together and the kids pick whatever they are into that year. My personal favorite was our caveman and cavewoman costumes. Ron got a lot of interesting looks, that year.
I usually spend a day baking hundreds of Oznei Haman (stuffed triangular cookies) with Mechal and putting them inside the Mishloach Manot (seriously, just read the wiki page ;-) ).
We usually host a huge potluck seudah (meal) and squeeze in between 20-30 friends and family. We decide on a theme of food, and everyone brings something, plus a drink and alcoholic beverage of their choice. The kids have a blast playing with the toys and us grown-ups spend hours sharing interesting divrei Torah (speeches pertaining to the Bible), and playing fun games. Usually at some point in the meal, due to some "extreme tipsy-ness", someone will break out in Spanish lullabies, or monologue as Pharoah about sand.
It's always been a huge deal and we have probably some of our best memories from this holiday. This year, because of interstage, we won't be hosting any meal. Or be spending any time with friends. It will be a week before the surgery.
At this point, I would say that we are mostly excited for the surgery, as it means that we are moving on to the next stage, that Tehilla has survived interstage, which is usually unfortunately when so many HLHS babies don't make it, and it means she will G-d willing be in a better, healthier place. Every now and then, we will have a oh-my-Gd-my-baby-is-having-heart-surgery moment, and hold her tight.
So, Ron and I have not picked costumes for ourselves and are feeling extremely unfestive. We will find a way to put on a good show for Mechal and Tzviel.
G-d willing, everything will go well and next year's Purim will be better than ever.
This year you are dressing up as a family with a heart baby. You have great costumes, you still have fun and Tehilla is doing such an amazing job as herself. Sometimes the masks and costumes hide, but mostly they reveal.
ReplyDeleteMay all of you enjoy many, many of your "ordinary" Purims to come, with Tehilla taking the cake with inventive divrei torah.
I don't think any of you will ever need to drink a drop again to feel the kind of emotional intensity the holiday tries to instill in us...