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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 25, 2008
/ 18 Adar II 5768
Lessons from the Photo Box
By
Tom Purcell
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Here's something you should do if you haven't done so in a while: visit your
mother and father and get out the old photo box.
Surely you have one. Ours is in my parents' hall closet. It's in a sturdy
old Pabst Blue Ribbon beer case.
Lucky for me, I needed some photos for a humor speech I am giving about
growing up in the '70s and I had a reason to go through the old photos.
As my mother and I dug through the box, I came across a black-and-white
photo of a little girl. She's holding a stuffed toy as she looks, suspiciously,
into the lens of the camera.
That photo was taken 69 years ago, when the girl had her whole life before
her. She didn't know yet that one of her sisters would be struck with polio 12
years later, that her father would die at 49 just a month before her
wedding, or that she'd have six healthy children and 17 grandchildren.
That was my mother's picture. It was taken when she was 2.
I found my father's black-and-white high-school graduation photo. He was
trim and handsome a thick head of hair. The photo had red coloring around his
lips. When I asked my mother what it was, she explained.
When he was away in the Army, she used to kiss the photo. The red coloring
was her lipstick.
My parents' wedding photos are striking both of them so young and
attractive. She was 19 and he was 23. They had very little money, but it was 1956, a
time of hope and optimism. They were intent on building a life together.
Many other photos from over the years show that they succeeded.
The old Polaroids, in their greenish, yellowy hue, documented so many
instances in their lives: the new home built in 1964; Jingles, our beloved dog born
in 1972, getting a bath, which she hated; birthday parties, Christmas
mornings and many other family events.
The newer photos document the thinning and graying hair, the high school and
college graduations, the surprise party we threw for my father when he
turned 50 and, eventually, the surprise retirement party.
These photos transport me right back to those moments I knew as a kid, both
sad and happy: the cold January day in 1972 when my grandmother died and my
father sobbed; the sound of my father driving around the neighborhood calling
out for our dog the time she disappeared for three days; the Friday evenings
sitting around the dinner table laughing with my sisters about everything and
nothing at all.
It's bittersweet to go through the old photos. They make me sad. They
reflect the speed with which time is passing the speed with which time is aging
us all and, in the process, taking so many people I love away from me.
But those photos fill me with calm. They make me remember how blessed I have
been to be given the family I was given how blessed I've been to go
through life with such a colorful cast of characters.
They bring perspective and clarity they help me see the long view,
something I forget to do far too often. They remind me that every day really is
precious every moment is.
That is all a photo is, too: a snapshot of a moment in time. It locks our
world and our lives in place, so we can see and feel and understand the deep
meaning in them.
Our fast-paced world is in desperate need of such perspective. As our
markets crash and our politics get ugly as the media report every day on the
various ways the sky is falling we need to stand above the fray. We need to
keep hold of ourselves.
I know a perfect way to get started.
If you're lucky enough to still have your parents in your life, go to their
house and get out the old photo box.
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© 2007, Tom Purcell
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