“How do you keep your marriage intact?” his friend wanted to know. “It’s simple,” answered the man, “I take care of all the big issues – the war on terror, global warming, government policies – and she takes care of all the little issues – what kind of house to buy, what type of car to lease…”
Looking past the irony here, this story actually raises a serious point, about how often the “little” things in life take all of our attention.
Do those little things really matter in the long run?
This week, I had a discussion with an individual who lost his father, and we mused about life and relationships. At times such as these, one wonders, “Were all the arguments I had with dad worth it? Could we possibly have spent more valuable time together?”
Indeed, looking at the bigger picture enables us to realize how precious life is, how trivial matters ought not to take up significant time in our lives. And when we keep our true goals in sight, we allow ourselves to live every moment to its fullest.
The upcoming holiday of Pesach celebrates our redemption from an enslaved lifestyle; it is a time when we focus on rising above those little things that drag us down.
When we allow ourselves to transcend life’s trivialities, we create more space for the meaningful moments, and our day-to-day worries and concerns simply fall away. Pesach gives us the ability to see the bigger picture; it gives us a glimpse into a world where we are no longer bogged down by life’s
obstacles.
Let’s draw on this energy and hold on to the important things in life; let’s break through our personal boundaries so that we can experience true freedom every day!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendy
