Martin took this when we were hiking in South Lake Tahoe, visiting our new daughter-in-law’s dad and step-mom. In Yiddish, the word for your child’s in-laws is machatunim.  Nothing to do with the photo but it’s a useful word, nevertheless.

I’ve felt a bit like this duck for the past few months.  The first half of the year was an emotional roller coaster and by the time June arrived, I just needed to fade into the background. It’s not a bad thing to withdraw a bit every now and then.  Farmers allow fields to lie fallow and thus regenerate; lying fallow is good for fellow humans as well. With the arrival of this new Jewish year, I find myself returning—stretching a foot out here, fanning a wing there, poking my beak into some new experiences.

The ten days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are a time of reflection, inner dialogue, seeking and granting forgiveness, crafting new intentions or dusting  off the ones that never came into fruition last year. The image of this duck, there for all to see if only at second glance, reminds me to look more closely in this new year, to gaze beyond a first cursory glance. Never know who or what I might find.

What about you?  Was there a time you helped draw someone out from where they might have been biding their time in the background?  What happened? If the spirit moves you, please share this with your Facebook friends and any others whom you think would enjoy this. Or send this card to a friend by visiting our Etsy shop!