I’m a Klutz

Perhaps it’s because I have my head in the clouds more than my feet on the ground. Or maybe it’s because I’m always in such a hurry to get to the future that I don’t pay enough attention to the present. Possibly, it has nothing to do with me and it’s just the genetic make-up I received. Whatever the reason, over the years I’ve broken bones at least a half a dozen times and needed stitches that same amount or more. I’ve lost count of the scratches, scrapes and bruises I’ve accumulated over the years.

This is not a picture of me!

My latest exploit was to fall off a chair. I’d been cleaning a high shelf, tossed an old paper headed for the trash onto the bed, and somehow or other lost my balance and went nose diving after the paper.  Thankfully, I didn’t break anything. Nor did I land on my head. I did get a bad bruise, though, a bruise that makes it very uncomfortable to sit, kneel, squat, reach, and bend over. My difficulty with the first movement means it’s not so pleasant to write at my computer or relax with a book. The discomfort of the other movements, however, means that Passover cleaning has become more difficult than normal.

As always, when I do a number on myself, I question what message HaShem is sending me. Once again I wonder if He’s trying to remind me that I’m not running the world. My Pesach cleaning lists and schedules might be beautiful essays with brilliantly detailed time-tables, but I need to remember I’m not the one in charge. He is.

So now I’m faced with some challenging decisions. Can I stay off my hands and knees and not hunt miniscule crumbs in the far corners of my kitchen floor; crumbs which the gemmorah teaches us are not considered Chometz? Can I ignore my dirty windows knowing that no one ate anything, especially nothing with Chometz, off them? Can I make peace with the fact that all the blankets in my house will not be washed and remember that dust isn’t Chometz? In short, can I take the advice I post every year in Practical Pointers for Pesach Preparations:

If you have the time and well-being to do spring cleaning, go for it. If not, don’t confuse the issue. It can be done in the summer, fall, or winter.

Will this be the year that my house will be Chometz free but not a candidate for the good housekeeping award of the year? Or will I have a swift recovery and a house in tip top shape? Most important, will I gracefully accept whatever HaShem decides for me, not just before Pesach but always?