A Measure of Success
My 25th college reunion is approaching. Whether or not I will attend has more to do with timing and finances than anything else, but I can’t help but wonder what I would talk about with friends and classmates long forgotten.
It is a question which leads me to review exactly what have I been up to. What did I do just after college? What have I accomplished since? What am I doing now and where am I headed? Have I been successful? There have certainly been times during the past 25 years when I have been unhappy with the answers to these questions. Times I have doubted whether or not I have made enough positive difference in the world.
Now, however, is not one of those times.
The last two days have been very busy in our house. The kids are on vacation and among the other things we have been doing we have been preparing to celebrate Purim, a Jewish holiday celebrating the story of the Book of Esther. One aspect of this holiday is that many people attend services in costume. This is something my eight year old looks forward to all year.
This year she decided she wants to be a pilgrim. She drew a design of what she wants her costume to look like and we went to a local resale shop to search for the right pieces to make it. She and her friend swam through the pile of “purchase by the pound” clothing hauling out various white and black items for me to consider. We finally settled on a pair of white boxer-type shorts, a white blouse, a lacy white baby’s shirt, a small black cashmere sweater and a long black wool skirt – adult size 18. Total weight: 2.4 pounds. Cost: $3.60.
Over the next two days she and I worked together transforming these items into her costume. She learned to use my sewing machine. She did some hand stitching. She even got introduced to a seam ripper! We had a wonderful time bringing her vision to life. She is thrilled with the results! And because of this, so am I.
Purim is still a few days away but she has been so delighted with her costume that it has been difficult to get her to take it off. She has been randomly and repeatedly giving me hugs, thanking me for helping her and telling me how much she loves, loves, loves her costume.
Her joy, her appreciation, her participation. For me, this is the truest measure of my success.