Doing The Right Thing

Sometimes we get caught up in our lives and can't see the big picture. I have been stressed out recently, and found myself sitting at my computer working on a project due today. Or so I thought.

As I sat there, I checked my email and realized that a friend was sitting shiva (in mourning) for the recent death of her mother. As things stood then, if I didn't get up and go pay a shiva call right then and there, I would have missed the opportunity to do this great mitzvah.

It was 8:30 pm and the shiva sitting ended at 9 pm. I looked at my computer and thought to myself: Israel and the Jewish people are in such a perilous state, GET UP and do a mitzvah!

I jumped up, grabbed my purse and ran out of the house. I got there in time to join two other friends comforting our mutual friend. Of course I stayed until 9:30 pm and got home 15 minutes later to a text message from a son who needed to be picked up from the airport.

It's all good, I told myself. I let my eldest drive, number 3 rode shotgun and I sat in the backseat. We had a really good time there and back, including a message from my project leader saying we couldn't meet today. As I am on my way to S. Diego today, I bought my ticket for 4 pm, which would have been after the meeting. So here I sit, waiting for 4 pm.

I can't imagine what would have happened if I decided to give up the shiva call to work on the project. I don't think I could have lived with giving up the mitzvah for nothing.

Lesson learned: follow your gut. Do the right thing. Regardless.