Mother's Day

My mother always said, "Be solution oriented." It became, over the years, something that my family says to each other when we are being difficult or getting in our own way.  I always found this both a comforting thing to say, and in retrospect, very Jewish.

The Jewish People have always been a people who are either getting in their own way or being difficult. (There is a reason why we're the "stiff-necked people")  And yet we are here today, as strong as ever, accomplishing incredible things across the planet.  From leaders in climate change, human rights, and comedy, the Jewish people have become (and maybe always were) the people who were always trying to solve or deal with the issues of society.

As university students, we are always getting in our own way with parties, friends, just sitting around because no one is looking over our shoulders.  This is a perfect opportunity to take all those things and put them in the order that we want them to be so that we can solve our issues, like school work, projects for organizations we are in, and anything else.

It is a very Jewish thing, in my opinion, to move beyond the many things that try and get in our way.  As I said, we're still here aren't we?  

Before we wrap up, I've decided that I'm going to end my posts with a couple of questions that either relate to what I wrote about or just somet hings I was thinking about.  This is because I feel that its more important to ask some good questions than get some good answers.

What's Jewish about trying and enacting positive change?

Why is it that Jews always seem to be out there being "movers and shakers"?

So, with Mother's Day here, I offer you this suggestion: Be solution oriented!  

Jeremy Markiz