Great Friends
A personal thank you
In many cultures around the world, there is a concept of giving thanks and appreciation. In Judaism, it is a central theme. When a person gets up in the morning the very first thing they are supposed to say is ‘Modeh Ani’ thanking God for giving life back to the person. This is still while lying in bed!
So I would like to use this platform to say thank you. Thank you to my friends for helping me in my time of great need. My father always told me, “you want to know if you have real friends? Show up in front of their house and say you need help with burying a body. If they go and get their shovels you know you have a real friend.”
The point he was making is when you are at your lowest moments and at your greatest need, where are your friends? I have been blessed with great friends.
This past year has been hard on many people and I was no exception. While many wonderful things have happened this past year; my son was born, I became a software engineer and my wife graduated from nursing school. Unfortunately, though, the year also brought in a big financial burden. Until we get hired and have an income there isn’t a way for us to pay the bills and pay back the student loans we took out. We did budget in the initial time we expected to get hired but thanks to Covid-19 we have since left that time in the dust.
This is where my friends came in. Pitching in and helping us out while we try to get on our feet. It was uninitiated from my end but when they knew the situation I was in, they each privately called asking how they can help.
There is a custom to ask for ‘Lekach’ (sweet cake, usually honey cake) from someone on the day before the holiest day of the year; Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. The purpose of this custom is so that if it had been decreed (God forbid) that we need to ask for a handout from other people in the coming year this asking for ‘Lekach’ should constitute that begging.
I was thinking of this custom when my friends without me asking or begging for help decided to help me. I cannot begin to express my gratitude and I can only say thank you.
