Celebrate – It’s A Good Thing!

By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., LMFT, CLC, SDS

Let’s start with a little poem: To drive a little message home. There is no day like Tu B’Shvat. Just when we think, that Gd forgot, A seed will grow, its head pops out, And then we see, what life’s about.

At times, we’re sad, things don’t make sense. The burdens we carry feel so immense.

And then along comes a little hope, To help us carry our heavy load!

Trees are symbolic of hope. But making birthdays for them?! That’s kind of wild. And that’s what Tu B’Shvat is.

Who knew that trees would have birthdays and that we celebrate them with a holiday? I hope those trees are not wishing we’d drop a cake nearby, or hire a party planner, or do a whole themed event.

And I certainly hope they don’t want a piñata.

After all, where better to hang a piñata than on a tree? And we certainly wouldn’t feel right accidentally hitting the designated birthday boy.

Parties are fun. But we don’t always like it when they get overwhelming or out of hand. Or when there are endless details to take care of – especially where every plate must match every napkin, which must match every tablecloth, and every flower, and every serving dish, and every served knish… plish this glowing effect, or alternatively, have to decide to live by the old party rule – a party’s a party, so let the joy of it brighten it up.

I once attended a bar mitzvah, way before doing really shmaltzy ones was common. It was the first I remember that had the activities in an anteroom – make the wax hands, personalized baseball caps and t-shirts, enjoy a photo booths, around us, and tons of mock snow lushly covering every inch of the ground. It was mesmerizing and lavish, to say the least. immediately told my kids, “Guess what? No need for a trip out west this year to ski. This is your winter vacation. You’ve got it all right here with plenty of delicious food and memorabilia included, and no worry about injuries.” What more could one ask for?! It certainly made my day and saved me a fortune personally! Whatever and however one chooses to celebrate, there is no judgement here. It’s what works for the person! As long as one always remembers that if we are making the choice to celebrate, that’s a good thing!

Now, one may look at this as an extravagance. But I saw it differently!

I know there are people who naturally do this with ease and pleasure. They have an eye for it, or luckily grew up in a neighborhood where the gift just seems to emanate from everyone’s’ kishkas.

But, for others, they feel lost. They either have to get a party planner to accom- etc. plus games and other party favorites. But that was nothing!

The family were big skiers. Therefore, when the elevator doors opened onto the entry to the ballroom, we walked out into a winter wonderland – complete with wind, icicles, and wintery atmosphere all

Rivki Rosenwald is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist working with both couples and individuals and is a certified relationship counselor. Rivki is a co-founder and creator of an effective Parent Management of Adolescent Years Program. She can be contacted at 917705-2004 or at rivkirosenwald@gmail.com.