We spent the past week in Colombia with family. My sister-in-law is Colombian and our niece and nephew (the exact same ages as our kids) spend much of their school vacations and summers in Colombia. We were grateful for the invitation to join them for spring break and looked forward to lots of family bonding.
What was so unique about the experience was that we were not just tourists exploring a city; but rather, we integrated into the culture and lifestyle of the Colombian people. We joined them for adventures and holiday gatherings, we spent two days in the crazy hustle and bustle of Bogota, and then a few days in the Colombian jungle town of Anapoima.
One night, while chatting after dinner, a family member shared a story that seemed to come out of nowhere. She told us there was a woman who had gained some notoriety in Colombia. Her name is Xiomara, and she is what they call a “pet therapist.” She meets with people all over the world via Zoom and communicates with their pets. Through her special paths of understanding and communication, she learns about the dynamic of the household and of the people with whom the pet resides. The people then use this feedback to reflect upon their behavior and to work towards creating a more peaceful home, or as we say in Judaism, sh’lom bayit.
I know what you are thinking....this is a bit mashug!
But nonetheless, it got me thinking: what would my dog Huck say about me if he could talk?
As I contemplated this strange question, I decided I wanted to reach out to Xiomara to schedule a meeting.
The discussion raised some important questions for me: who are we when no one is watching? Would we be proud of what our “pets” have to say about us?” And ultimately, in what ways are we making sure that our home is one full of peace, love and understanding.
As we approach the month of Nisan and enter the Passover season, these are highly relevant questions. At a time when our tradition charges us to clean our literal houses, it also charges us to clean our souls and work on internal housekeeping. It is roughly the halfway mark since the last time we engaged in cheshbon ha’nefesh (soul searching) during the High Holy Days, and the requisite alignment of our bodies/souls with the timeless teachings of our tradition. We use this time now to check in and ask how we are doing, and what would an objective observer (ie: Huck!) have to say about it?
As we head into this Shabbat - we give this some thought, and I will let you know what Xiomara has to say.
Shabbat Shalom ,
Sam
