Surviving the Seders

For all intents and purposes, I have survived another Passover. Even though the rest of the Jewish world is in the middle of the 8-day festival, for me, it is over after the completion of the two Seders on the first and second nights. Seders, for those of you that are not in the know, are festive meals after the retelling of the story of the Jews exodus out of Egypt.


It is my favorite Jewish holiday. Although, with a two-year-old, sitting through the entire exodus - plagues, parting of the Red Sea, mountains skipping like lambs and hills like lams (my personal favorite), evils bands of angels and The Four Questions - well, that can be a lot for a toddler to take in.

Both nights were spent at the Coopers. The first night we left Jack with a sitter so we could enjoy the Seder as it was meant to be. The second night, as is to be expected, all hell broke loose. The Coopers, God bless them, abbreviated the ceremony so that we hit the highlights (barely). Both Jack and their granddaughter Chelsea, also 2, spent most of the evening running around the house, up and down the stairs. Their other granddaughter, Emily - 3 months - spent a lot of the evening wailing. Thinly controlled chaos. But I am glad to have shared it with my boys and with Jason, Mel and Barbi Crabill.

I am also glad that I don't have to do it again for another year. By which time I may be well on my way to being a Jew myself. Who knows?