“To LIFE!”

“Sunrise, Sunset, sunrise, sunset, quickly fly the years” says the beloved song from “Fiddler on the Roof”, the musical production our 3 oldest daughters were involved in last week. I am in complete agreement with that statement. The days are FLYING by! But I have found the faster they go the more of a precious appreciation I have in my heart for each one – for each blessed day here on earth with my family.

It was terrifically amazing, hard, tender, and fulfilling to see MY children and their friends acting so grown up singing that song! The really hard part is that there is no denying they ARE growing UP! “Is this the little girl I carried?” was all I could think watching 1) Emily play so perfectly the part of an overburdened, stressed-out, but deeply caring mother, 2) Mikela play the role of her promising oldest daughter who has in her heart to marry the tailor!, and 3) Anna, playing the part of the second daughter going “far from the home [she] loves”. Seeing some of Isaac’s friend’s there, returned from college to see the play, made is miss Isaac more than every, yet joyfully so. I say joyfully because he is just LOVING his mission so much and I wouldn’t have him anywhere else, “right? ..OF COURSE right?” (as our amazing Yente would put it). It made me feel joyful and terrified all at once to see what the next season of life will bring to our family. What will have happened in 5 or 10 years? Look what HAS happened in the past 5 & 10 years!! No matter what stage of life, there is always change and growth involved in it. “Come what may and LOVE it!” (L. Tom Perry)

It was fantastic to see each of my children’s friends fill their roles to the FULLEST and together everyone achieved greater results than anyone could have imagined! (My wish for them is that each of them do that in real life too!) They could NOT have done better!  The message and feeling of this story of a family (which represents any family struggling to make ends meet, dealing with the challenges and changes unique but somehow we all face, rejoicing at times and sorrowing at times – together, continually reconciling themselves with God) came across BETTER than Broadway. It was truly beautiful and has brought me to feel greater compassion, love, and even a little bit better understanding of LIFE.

“TO LIFE!!!” To Life.

“A blessing on your head, Mozel Tov, Mozel Tov”,  CaMarie and the whole Hoffman Crew