In addition to maintaining our home and working out the details of a self build for our shop, we also offered to host a Purim party that some of the young people in our weekly gathering wanted to hold. A slightly terrifying prospect at this time of year. Why terrifying? Picture a house with two living rooms, a kitchen and dining room equaling, generously, 850 square feet. Comfortably, we can fit 45-50 people in the house without having to squeeze past each other to get into another room. Now picture squeezing possibly 100+ people in that same space. Typically these type of events take place when the backyard is free of two feet of icy, melting snow. Are you getting the picture now?
The morning arrived with sunshine glaring off the piles of snow in the yard. The decorating party arrived around 11am. After spending a few minutes familiarizing them with some decor we wanted to contribute, they got to work, and I headed to the kitchen. Plates came out of storage, food was prepared and set out, coffee and hot, mulled cider filled the house with a delicious, warm scent.
Since the gown I ordered for the event didn’t arrive in time, I chose to dress in the saree that my daughter gave me. Later, someone sent me a photo they took of me… I looked like the Statue of Liberty!!! Dang!!! It’s a good thing I didn’t realize that before, or I would have changed my outfit! I’m glad I stayed in it though. Myself and one other gal dressed in sarees. If we hadn’t, the new family who joined us, and went all out for Persian style clothes might have felt very awkward. I wish I could buy Persian style clothes for everyone attending next year! Now I understand the parable about the wedding feast.
As the guests arrived, the potluck dishes began to fill in the open spaces on the table. The next six hours was filled with laughter, catching up, sharing ideas and opinions, ooing and ahhhing over dresses and suits. We read the entire story of Esther, stopping periodically to ask trivia questions about the story, and of course, booing when the enemy’s name was said, cheering the hero, and oooing and ahhing the queen.
By the time the last guests left, I had been in my feet solidly for 12 hours, and those puppies, along with my knees were aching. I had thought about putting on shoes, but got distracted and didn’t. Walking that long on cement floors just did me in.
We crawled into bed around 1:00am, our hearts filled with the sweet fellowship of our spiritual family, our tummies full of foods they aren’t familiar with, and our spirits refreshed by seeing our God’s heart for us in the story. His love and desire for his creation and his protection over his children. Exhausted and happy, I drifted off to sleep with our cat at my feet.
An Ordinary Life 