Can you believe there’s only two more weeks left on 2020? I open Happiness Box in 15 more days! When I was participating in corporate’s self-care meeting on Monday, I mentioned I had 18 more days to go until I open Happiness Box 2020. I’ve been mentioning it on and off during this whole pandemic and the leader had me explain what it was, then said, “maybe in January, we can have you show off the contents!” I’m verklempt and they will e-mail me about setting a Monday up. I’m grateful.
Tonight is the last night of Hanukkah. I’m truly grateful for the sense of community and my sense of spirituality for the past eight nights. Last night someone from Reddit’s Judaism sub invited me to his Menorah lighting over Zoom. He lived in California, so my Menorah was already lit when we met up at 8:30 pm (5:30 pm his time). We sang the blessings, Ma’or Tzur together and his family members joined in. We all sang together. After the Menorah was lit, he taught me certain things. For example, the middle candle is the guide candle and isn’t part of the blessings. I can light that before the blessings because it is what is used to ignite the other candles. We had more of a Q & A session and he answered all of my questions. I am verklempt and very grateful that he invited me.
On Monday, my Reddit card secret Santa sent me a gift for Hanukkah. It was a total surprise and I felt so verklempt. Yesterday her card arrived and I felt just as verklempt; I cried reading it. Such beautiful thoughts for Hanukkah! My gift Secret Santa also messaged me a greeting for Happy Hanukkah, and since the USPS is back logged, my Hanukkah gifts haven’t arrived yet. They’ve been so nice about it. The gifts are now in transit to my house and I know I’ll be just as verklempt. I love Reddit and while it gets a bad rap from time to time, I’ve met mostly kind, generous people. I’m thankful for these two from Reddit gifts.
I’ve been taking photos for my Happiness Box and I think I’m going to make a Hanukkah scrapbook album. I’d like to share a few.
I captured myself in prayer! I feel so at peace! Tonight I was trying to capture the snow on the roof, but alas, not quite. We had a major snow storm yesterday and forgot to capture the Menorah lighting the snow yesterday. Someone on Reddit did and I’m going to print it.
White Hanukkah! It looks like we’ll have a white Christmas too! I’m thankful for the snow. Snow is so beautiful, so pure, and so peaceful. There is a calm with snow. I’m grateful that two holidays have and will be white. Good tidings are in store!
I’m also thankful for friends and family. What are you thankful for?
The Happiness Box Project 
Hi, Jessica Marie!
I’m all verklempt knowing that your company has expressed interest in having your play Show and Tell with the contents of your Happiness Box 2020. In 2020, the concept of happiness took on a new meaning, a deeper meaning. I think we have all learned to be more thankful with less.
It was also a special gesture for a Redditor to invite you to experience through Zoom the lighting of his Menorah and to teach you and answer your questions . I am also verklempt thinking about the kindness and generosity exhibited by people like your Reddit secret card and gift Santas. The items and messages you received from them are symbols of unconditional love. As this year’s Hanukkah observance winds to close, you have many such meaningful moments to look back on and for which to be thankful. Beautiful, inspiring images throughout this post! I agree it would be a good idea to created a Hanukkah album. I hope it turns out to be a white Christmas as well as a white Hanukkah. You are blessed.
Enjoy your Friday and have a safe and happy weekend, dear friend JM!
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