Photo Friday (Vol. XLI) [gift edition]

Yesterday seemed to be a day for gifts. 

First and foremost we received the gift of our faithful dog Jordan's life.  What could have ended with a jagged empty hole in the middle of our family instead ended with a reassuring call from a gifted vet telling us that we would have Jordan home with us for shabbat.

Another gift that came my way yesterday was from an unlikely source; my employer.  I still can't get my head around the fact that one of the world's most well respected aerospace and defense companies hands out Rosh Hashannah gift boxes to all its employees the week before the holiday.

For most of my working life I've had to deal with resentment and suspicion when asking for the Jewish holidays off in the fall.  I always wound up having to use most of my vacation days and still was looked upon as something of an oddity.  I now have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming when my employer passes out thoughtful gifts as a way of wishing everyone a Shana Tova (good year).

Then when I got home from work I noticed that the bourbon fairy had visited the house.  A good friend from the neighborhood returned from a business trip to the US and left a couple of bottles of Knob Creek bourbon sitting outside our door.  Talk about thoughtful (and timely)!

And lastly, while opening the mail I noticed a familiar return address.  I opened the envelope to find something for which I'd registered a while back.

An old friend of mine, J.J. Greenberg, was killed while riding his bike here in Israel several years ago.  While I still haven't entirely come to terms with his death, I was quite moved to read on his memorial site about how his parents had donated many of his organs to people who desperately needed them. 

Many observant Jews are not well-informed about the issues surrounding organ donation, and consequently opt out by not finding out what is and isn't permissible under Jewish law.  After reading about J.J. parent's decision, I visited the web site of HODS, an organization whose stated purpose is to disseminates information regarding Halachic issues and Rabbinic opinions on organ donation. *

I can't help thinking that the potential to save / improve countless lives is squandered at the hour of many terrible tragedies simply because many of us find the topic either too daunting... or too depressing to address while we are alive. 

What finally made up my mind was thinking how horrible it would be to (G-d forbid) have a loved one waiting for a life-saving organ donation that never materialized. 

So this last gift isn't something I received, but rather it was a small reminder of a gift I might one day be called upon to give.

*  While this organization is primarily intended to address Jewish issues surrounding organ donation, I strongly urge any of the non-Jewish readers to consult with their clergy, their families and their conscience about the whole 'what if...?' question.

Shabbat Shalom.