This Week My Ear Stopped Working

This Week My Ear Stopped Working

Until about half an hour ago, for a few days I couldn’t hear out of my right ear because it was clogged up with wax.

And now, b”H, a few drops of hydrogen peroxide did the trick, and I can hear out of my right ear again!

But these last few days showed me just how important my perfect hearing is to me.

A friend wanted to join me on a park bench, “If it’s OK with you, don’t sit on that side, sit on this side…I can only hear out of that ear.”

I was walking my daughter to school, “Chamuda, walk on this side please. I can only hear you out of this ear.”

I was making plans to eat out with my husband last night, “I can’t go to that restaurant, I won’t be able to hear you if there’s music playing.”

And this nano-nisayon reminded me that if someone offered me a billion dollars for my healthy ears, eyes, tongue, heart, brain, liver, legs, hands…I would say NO!

And that means that, even if we struggle to pay our bills, all of us are multi-billionaires.

This past Sunday I went to a seudat hodaya in honor of the birth of the daughter of my dear friend.

There were about 20 women there, family members and old friends.

My friend decided to go around the circle and bless any women in need of blessings.

A bunch of the women there were old friends from her single days, now in their forties and still waiting to find their husbands.

And my friend said, “I bless so-and-so bat so-and-so and so-and-so bat so-and-so to find their matches, immediately!”

“AMEN!” we all called out.

And then she turned to another friend, in her mid-forties and waiting to be blessed with a second child, “And I bless so-and-so bat so-and-so that she should get pregnant and have a healthy baby!”

“AMEN!” we all called out.

And then she turned to two very pregnant women and said, “And I bless so-and-so bat so-and-so and so-and-so bat so-and-so with an easy and healthy birth!”

“AMEN!” we all called out.

And then I watched my friend’s eyes as they travelled around the circle, pausing on me for a mere second before passing me by…

And that second of hesitation took my breath away…

To be the one already blessed with a husband, already blessed with a lifetime’s share of very painful and very miraculous births, already blessed with the home full of children I dreamed of and now have.

And again, if someone offered me a billion dollars for any of these gifts…I would say, “No way.”

You keep your money…

I will keep the
abundant
unfathomable
free (and all too often forgotten)
blessings
with which Hashem has filled my life.

9 comments

  1. savta ima

    Well, Chana Jenny, Allow me (a humble bat-Cohen) to bless you then: My husband often quotes Harav Avigdor Miller, who used to say how we must keep aware and thankful at all times of the gifts Hashem gives us, of health, working senses and limbs, teeth, a home, a family…you name it. And what if we have CH”V lost one of these things? Then we must still be entirely thankful – for what we once had. My bracha to you: to always be in a state of thanking Hashem because you DO HAVE all your billion-dollar gifts! May you continue to stay well, and enjoy all the nachas of your family amo”sh

  2. Amen! And a great post!

  3. Wow, absolutely magnificent thought /s. Ty for this beautiful reminder! Its the reality😊

  4. Even with all the blessings you so beautifully expressed, we all need the constant blessing of life, to be able to be there for our children and spouses in good health. So for all of you out there reading this blog, Hashem should shower you all with revealed good – nachas, health, and the awareness of how special we all are to Hashem and the world!

  5. Sheva Lazaros

    And I bless you with brachot of gashmiut. Hashem should give you and your husband the means to provide everything for your home and family. You will need money to make simchas ( very soon ) and all the things you need cost money. Like I always say when we need money. We have a rich father. He should take the best care of his children.

  6. Beautifully written

  7. bikores.blogspot.com

    It’s a beautiful post but I’m going to focus on a side point. A few drops? A doctor once told me to pour the hydrogen peroxide in, and I do! And it takes 2 weeks for my ear to clear after repeated pourings and it is SO uncomfortable until it does. Any tips?

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