Said to Myself

This summer has been transformative for our children. After months of masks and social isolation they just needed camp. And now I am worried about the confluence of the resurgence of the Delta varient and their headed back to school. How will we rally them to get back into Covid restrictions after a summer of freedom?

I was thinking about this and I was reminded of a joke that my father used to say. As my dad would tell it, a man dies and goes to hell. There he is given three choices of how to spend eternity. In room one, it’s the classic version, the evil-doers being engulfed by fire and brimstone. In room two, people are buried up to their necks in poop. In room three, people are standing around knee-deep in excrement, drinking coffee. The man chooses option three. He is excited to join the group and he gets a big cup of coffee. While it is clearly not heaven, it is not that bad. He is feeling pretty good about his decision. Just as he takes his first sip there is an announcement over a loudspeaker: “Attention! Coffee break is over! Back on your heads!”

Today is my father’s 3rd Yahrzeit. I miss him, his wit, and his ability to get to the heart of the matter. This will be a difficult fall for our children, but it was a great coffee break.