Tales of Joy Walls

Tales of Joy Walls


- Joy Krauthammer

 

A young woman, whom I did not know, saw me at an LA gathering in 2000 and questioned me about an activity a year and a half or two earlier. "Aren't you the woman who was climbing over the high wire fence in Jerusalem at Hebrew University?" (That high wire act was in 1997.)

She was right; On Shabbat the open gates were too far away on the other side of campus, so Aviva and I climbed over near her dorm room in order to leave the campus.

It was LA politician Zev Yaroslavsky's daughter who recognized me on the other side of the high gate she was jogging past, which Aviva and I had scaled, jumping first onto a high cement block wall. Can't believe I did it, but Aviva went quickly over first, so I'd have been stuck alone.

That gave me good practice to climb over a high wooden gated wall in Texas at a Botanical Garden an hour or so from Dallas.  (I was in TX day before for a bat mitzvah.) I had driven to Garden several years ago, from my Dallas hotel and the Garden was closed, because the day was late, and I decided I was not missing it. Parking lot was totally empty. So up and over I went. Can't believe i did that. Big wooden doors were high. Surveying the scene I found that the entire property was fenced and locked.  I was not flying back to LA without seeing the garden that a waiter had told me about.

(Oy, no, reminds me of when I was in college and climbed the fire escape up into the second story of Carnegie Hall where Judy Collins was performing when all the seats were sold out, and I made it down to the front orchestra seats and found an empty seat, and sat next to actor, Stacy Keach. I was able to buy a ticket for Judy C, a few years ago because although the concert was sold out, I met a gardener at the box office line with an extra seat to sell. He was awesome and makes massive happy faces and peace signs on grassy hillsides. Oh, connection here with gardeners, hmm.)

Once inside the Texas (Houston?) Botanical Garden, the head gardener (he found me) gave me a personal tour (I think he was impressed with my escapade of which i was proud.) and then escorted me to the big black subway style metal gate, out to the outside. I loved the Zen sand garden, and Asian stones, and the lovely pond. I had seen these scenes, yearning, peering, through a crack in the gates so I knew what I wanted to enjoy. Back in LA, I sent a photo of the gardener to him. That job was his dream and he reached it. 

OH, yes, there was a giant, huge cattle, horse festival opening the next day in that same town, but I was driving back at night to Dallas after the Garden in my rented car. I watched all these big trucks going in to the most famous cattle festival as it was getting dark.  I thought, cool, this is the Texas biggest annual show of it's kind, so probably in the whole country, and all was in place to open tomorrow, so... LA dress, heels and all (no cowgirl boots or hat for me), I managed to sneak in with my car, even with all the guards at the parking gate, and see cows being groomed, and horses in a ring with braided hair. It was fun. Guess I stood out because I was caught the first two tries and thrown out, but with my nifty netzach / endurance I made it in on the third try.

That same netzach is having me find healers for my friends in need.

Just a couple stories to amuse you and let you know that even in my sadness over dear ones' suffering, I find the light and share it.  Guess that is why one friend calls me, "Shamashee"--for the shamash candle lighting the others at Chanukah. This work seems to be how Hashem is using me lately. It's not for me to question, just to serve well.

Hmm, any more walls to climb, or just metaphoric ones? Guess finding doors and opening them is good also...

One love, shalom and abundant blesSings of harmony, wholeness, health and joy to you, Joy

"Serve G*d With Joy"