The Crying Mom I Saw Yesterday

Yesterday afternoon I was walking my boys home from camp when I noticed a neighbor sitting on the edge of the path, watching her toddler, looking really down. It looked like she had even been crying.

I said, “Shalom, Tali*, how are you?” And in response she just whispered “Baruch Hashem” and twisted her face back towards the ground.

And I thought to myself: I wonder if she’s so depressed. Or having marriage troubles. Or financial troubles. Or maybe, G-d forbid (I noticed she was very pregnant) the doctor didn’t find a pulse…

And then I went home and before I knew it 4:30 had turned into 1 AM, and I went to sleep.

And when I woke up this morning I had a whatsapp waiting for me, “Mazal tov to Tali Cohen on the birth of a healthy baby boy! Please use this link to bring them a meal.”

And the words from this psalm popped into my head:

בערב ילין בכי ולבקר רנה

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

May joy come soon as well for all those crying today. And waiting, like Tali was, for the dawn of a new day.