A happy holiday - or not

Today I was reminded that you can't always count on things working out the way you expect. We had a lovely seder with our family last night. Everyone got along, no big family dramas, food was great, and my son even impressed us all with his reading skills, in both Hebrew and English. Pretty good for a newly turned 9 year old. Tonight we planned to have some friends over for a family friendly seder with props and a Passover Play. The turkey was bought, the table was set, and the scripts were copied. We were all ready.

Then this morning we woke up to not one, but two, vomiting children. I guess they were deep into the holiday spirit and decided to experience a plague first hand. Either way, what was supposed to be a day of shul and friends, turned into... an enormous mess. Plans were cancelled, children felt aweful, and I'm exhausted.

So how does this relate to my writing life? Throughout the years I've been doing this I've made a lot of plans. I was absolutely sure that the first book I wrote was going to be published and that I'd be a big hit by now. Each rejection felt like a knife to the gut, or a day in the bathroom. But the more I've learned, the more I realized that everything that happens is a learning experience that brings around something new. Each rejection is a time to reflect, redirect, and move on.

So no, I didn't have a child friendly seder tonight. But I did get the chance to slow down and spend the day snuggled with my children. We watched movies, read books, and tried to make the best of a bad situation. The great thing about holidays, we always get a chance to try it again next year.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Passover, Easter, or weekend. May your holiday be filled with family and friends and hopefully be healthier than mine.