Well, Pesach is in less than a week, and I’d venture to say that even the most diligent procrastinators among us have started at least thinking about it.  Pesach is probably my favorite holiday because of its emphasis on freeing ourselves from the slavery that we sometimes (often?) subject ourselves to.  Also, I like the cleaning.  I need some external motivation to do it, but I love the feeling of satisfaction when my house is clean.

Anyways, back to the freedom idea.  Paralleling the story of our ancestors who went from slavery to freedom in just a short time, we learn that we can also go from a situation of slavery to freedom.  Maybe it’s something like our diet, or the way we interact with our spouse, or our children.  Maybe it’s the way we feel enslaved by our anger, or jealousy, or desire to gossip.

There’s plenty of things to feel chained down by.  But this time of year is uniquely suited to helping us free ourselves from whatever bad habits may be holding us back from being our best selves.  I know, I know, it’s definitely easier said than done to break a bad habit.  But this is the time of year to take one small step toward achieving freedom.  Read a book on the topic, talk to a friend or mentor, sign up for a course, make yourself a chart.  With stickers.  Whatever it takes to make a positive movement toward ridding yourself of that pesky habit, now is the time to start!

Maybe the spring weather also helps get us up and moving around out of the lethargy of winter.  I know I have more energy and drive when the sun is out and I’m not huddling miserably with freezing children running from the house to the car.

I’m going to be off the grid until after Pesach, so I thought I’d compile a list of my favorite posts for the reading pleasure of anyone who happens by here while I’m away from the blog.

On Pesach:

Menu Planning for Pesach!

Crowdsourced Pesach Tips

Let the Pesach Prep Begin!

On Marriage:

Keeping the Peace in My Marriage

Kicking the Habit of Playing the Blame Game

Embracing Imperfection

On Motherhood:

Patience is the New Black, or, Kids in the Kitchen

A Letter to a Mother of Three Small Children

The Truth About Feeding Small Children

On Music:

Does Your Daddy Know You’re Here?

Can A Mommy Foster Her Own Talents?

Putting My Music Degree to Good Use

On Mesorah:

Spiritual Materialism

Don’t Panic, But You’re Representing Your Entire People

Why I’m Indoctrinating my Children (And Why You Are Too)

Have a chag kasher v’sameach!