At one point I decided that even if my career suffers, I would do my best to give as much time as possible to my family. It's easier said than done. Still the pressure to achieve is great.
Make no mistake, I am no where close to becoming "father of the year". The on calls, the pressure, the nature of medical emergencies all take their toll. I am often short tempered with those that I love the most. I hate it and it's difficult to control, especially when I'm chronically sleep deprived.
For the first time in over a decade, I was able to take the entire Passover vacation to be at home. It was wonderful just to be with the children and not be tired. One of the day trips we took was in our neck of the desert. Every year in Mamshit, an archeological site built by the Nabateans an ancient market is recreated with activities for the entire family. The Sandfamily had the honor of hosting the von Trepp family for this trip. A delightful time was had by all.
Yesterday, I accompanied my daughter's third grade class for their annual field trip. I look forward to these trips for three reasons: 1. I love hiking in the desert (of which we have a plentiful supply). 2. It gives me a chance to be with my daughter without competition from her siblings. 3. And it allows me to observe her in her natural habitat.
We first went to Bet Guvrin which has been wonderfully reconstructed by the Israel Antiquities Authority. We then went cave crawling in the Midras Ruins (sorry, couldn't find an english language site). This was the big adventure of the day as crawling through tunnels just wide enough for an adult to pass brought out the best in the claustrophobes.
See?
Some children opted out before entering. Some started to crawl, but then backed out. Once another group has entered the tunnel behind us, there is no way out but forward. One or two of the children became hysterical and refused to budge. One even cried that he was going to die there. It was all very dramatic. We calmed him down and all emerged from the cave alive and well. The elbows and the knees took a real beating and I used some muscles that I completely forgot I had.
We finished with a visit to Israel's only stalactite-stalagmite cave. This cave doesn't compare in size to the large caves in Slovenia such as the Postejna Cave, but for it's size it has a great variety of stalactites and stalagmites. Besides it's ours.
Father and daughter had a wonderful time. We can't wait for the next field trip.
8 comments:
I'm envious of you guys living in Israel. Masada, Jerusalem, the Shomrom, Hevron, Safed, the Kotel, being able to buy kosher products, etc.
After reading blogs from Israel, I go online and look at the houses and apartments for sell in Zirchon Yaakov.
Hopefully soon, l'shanah haba'ah birushalayim.
I remember the Lewis and Clark caves in Montana. That was not nearly as claustrophobic, and we didn't have third graders....just me and the hubby!
How about posting some pictures?
Nu, Shira, Be'ezrat Hashem!
At the end of our lives, no one will care how many papers we published, if we weren't great fathers and mothers, parents and lovers. And even then, it still won't be very important.
Thanks for reminding us.
David
(A typo in my my last comment made it incomprehensible, thus the deletion.)
my claustrophobia went full-blown after a crawl thru the bar-kochba tunnels/caves when i was 16. but i recently went thru the caves at beit guvrin without a problem!
For what is worth I think you chose well. It's not that it wouldn't be worth it, it's that some things are definitely worthier, and cause far less regret - and even then you must often have very hard days, full of inadequacy bcs you can't stretch yourself more. The sleep deprivation is horrible, I cannot imagine not being able to recuperate in - what am I saying? WHAT AM I SAYING?? I actually long ago lost the ability to recuperate lost sleep. But in a doctor that is a scary thing, pilots are forced to rest because of the souls they carry, doctors hold our lives in their hands on who knows what conditions half the time. It certainly shouldn't be this way.
When I was on the kibbutz the first time (as a volunteer) we wewrw taken opn a road trip and did just that, one minuscule entrance to a cave, one narrow, winding path filled with water at the bottom, it was exhilarating. Apparently I do depth better than heights - not sure I could do that now, this was all pre-Uzi, I think all my phobias are far to sharpened now for that. I'll live vicariously through your daughter then! It does sound lovely though, I'm glad you had the chance to spend one-on-one time, the dynamic is bound to be totally different - and the silence, oh the silence!
Hi, I do have a blog, though you wouldn't be able to tell by the length of this!
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