Leiby Kletzky

Chana's post about Leiby Kletzky says it all.

The song she quotes- A rose among the flowers- is the song that rings in my head when thinking about the passing of former classmates of mine- Aviva and Chaya, a"H. The song states the tale of how the king found a precious rose in his garden, and rather than let it stay and wilt, he plucked it before its time to be by him. If anyone has the whole lyrics- I am searching for them. It begins: "Once upon a kingdom, so very long ago..."

Hashem took these pure neshamos from us so quickly, and the only thoughts I have are that they must be such pure roses for G-d to want them in His garden near Him.

May Hashem comfort all mourners for Leiby, a"H, and for all those children who are taken from us early.

Seven Things I Love

I've been tagged by Jewish Side of Babysitter for the 7 things I love meme. Thanks, Jewish Side.
So, 7 things...

1. G-d- Okay, this may sound corny, but I love G-d. I hear the echoes of "Hakadosh Baruch Hu, Anachnu Ohavim Otcha" in my head, and it rings true.
2. My family- I love my family, and all that it represents. My home, my place in the world- it means so much to me to have people that care about you, and that you're able to care back.
3. Israel- Israel is a very special place to me. There is a Kuzari that states that there are some people that just have a special love of Israel, that they are drawn to it like a magnet to a lodestone. My mother has that kind of special love of Israel. I was drawn to it after her, and I believe it's a truly amazing place. Yerushalayim in particular, pulls me in with her blue skies, white stone, and phenomenal people.
4. Of things to do, I love to read. Reading opens my mind, my eyes, and my heart to things I've never experienced before, except through the pages of a book. If you would give me a room full of endless amounts of books, I think I'd be happy to stay there forever.
5. Another of my favorites- cooking. I'll happily try new recipes, bake my old favorites, and generally putter around the kitchen.
6. I love the feeling of accomplishment. That feeling when you've worked hard, tried your best, and have something to show for it. It's a Yagati O'Matasi (I worked and I found) type of feeling, one that stays with you forever.
7. The Jewish nation. Come on, it rocks. The people in it are special, genuine, and truly amazing. Whether they are religious or not, Litvish, Chassidish, Yeshivish, MO, Stick what ever label on you want- Jewish people are the coolest.

That's it for me. I'll tag Chana, but most of the 7 people I would have tagged are tagged already.