Jewish Care Network

How do you take out your trash?

If you drive through my neighborhood on garbage day,
Every homeowner puts their trash container by the curb the night before
And, after it’s collected and emptied, we have to bring it back onto our property.

Trash is normally collected mid-morning so if you’re home most of the day,
Or in and out a lot, you need to listen out for the garbage truck or
Risk making multiple trips to check and see if it was collected.

But there’s one neighbor of mine who has a unique system
That takes the guessing out of this chore.

Every week, without fail, when I drive by her house around 7am
It’s impossible not to notice the newspapers
Hanging out of each side of her garbage can.

Genius, no?!

Most of people have no problem taking out their trash.
It might take them a bit more time to but they can figure out when it’s done.
For some reason, though, the regular way doesn’t work for her.

For this lady, taking out the trash is too hard to do on her own!

It got me thinking-
We all have one type of trash or another that builds up within us.
Fears, anxieties, sadness… the normal emotions that we experience
Through the normal ups and downs of life.

But sometimes it can get to be too much- our emotional bins get heavy
From a buildup of challenges that become too hard to bear.
Or maybe a single scary or traumatic that has the same paralyzing effect.

We need relief.
We’re at capacity and need to empty our bins;
The emotions are too strong for us to carry on our own.

Our emotional bin get heavy and full and needs to be taken out.
And, if it’s too hard to empty on your own,
There’s no shame in turning somewhere else for help.

Most of the time we can manage it on our own.
But, when it’s a bit too heavy, there are people to whom to turn.
There are times that a professional is needed. There’s no shame in that.
But in most cases, though, you don’t need to go that far.

I love reading books with short stories or small lessons
That give inspiration and lessons for life.
Or- I’ll connect with a friend who has a good listening ear.

Talking through your challenges helps you feel so much better!

And, when I’m feeling strong, I like connecting with friends
Or others who might be going through a rough patch.
My listening ear might be just exactly what they need….

You and I can be an outlet, helping others bear their emotions
As they navigate a crisis or challenge in their life.

You can be their newspaper and help them clear their “trash”!

Recently, two of my kids had appointments the same day.
One of them had a routine doctor’s visit- nothing serious.
The other, though, needed a procedure done.

The first was a breeze.

We drove to the doctor’s office and
The appointment was quick and uneventful.
I was barely needed in the examination room.

The second one, though, was much different.

My child was EXTREMELY nervous and scared.
He kept imagining something going wrong,
and was worried it would balloon into something much worse.

Thankfully I was there and fully present.
I consciously put my phone down (he quickly grabbed it!)
And he knew that I was there, completely focused on him.

I can’t say I solved everything…
The numbing shots were still painful and the doctor still had to do her thing.
But, his anxiety was tempered just because I was there.

Because he felt me in his corner,
someone who understood his angst.
He wasn’t alone… there was someone who recognized his pain.

Have you ever had a medical crisis;
A short- or long-term issue that needed to be resolved?
If you thankfully haven’t, I’m sure there’s someone close to you who has.

One of the hardest parts is the loneliness
That comes from feeling like no one understands
What it is like to be in middle of the crisis or illness.

You look like everyone else but internally you are very different.

The sun rises but for you it’s dark.
Planes fly, cars zoom past, people go about their day.
But to you, the world is moving in slow- motion.

You don’t know if you’ll have another normal day ever again.
Your sense of security was shattered the moment you heard the
Diagnosis come out of the doctor’s mouth.

So while it looks to most people like the world is fine,
That everything is normal and life goes on-
For you it just came to a screeching halt.

You’re like the person often seen on the side of the road,
Stranded and with the hood up. Often scared and usually
Wondering if and how they’ll reach their destination.

Sometimes, though, people do stop and help.

They see you and see that you’re in distress
And they try to get you back on the road.
And even if they can’t- they spend some time on the side with you.

And when they do, the world seems to come into focus again.
There’s someone there with you- you’re not alone, after all!
You can relax a bit and even give yourself a moment to breathe.

And that break from your new reality and your new normal
Can be enough to help push you through the fog.

Mazal Tov to our raffle winner Adik Khayumov!

Thank you to all who participated and donated- with your help, families facing medical challenges know that they aren't alone!