Purim, a festival with lots of fun and goodies, has come and gone. However, the day preceding the evening that Purim starts is a fast day. It is told in the Book of Esther how she and her maidens fasted for three days and nights. She told her uncle, her adopted father, to tell all the Jews of Shushan to fast with her, because the wicked Haman was plotting to have all the Jews of Persia killed. She very cleverly turned the tables on him.

So, in commemoration, we also fast just before Purim starts. Except that I cannot do it anymore. Fasting leaves me weak, woozy, fuzzy headed, tangle-tongued, and miserable! What am I going to do for Yom Kippur which is a 24 hour fast, and the holiest day of the year? My doctor didn't come right out and say NO, but he did say he'd rather I wouldn't.

So what do I do? Judaism teaches that matters of health take precedence over any law, but how does an orthodox observant Jew reconcile the two? I'll have to find a middle road, I guess.

Moods. I'm well past the age of monthly mood swings. So why am I so down and moody right now? For you who know anything about astrology, maybe you can explain. I was born under the sign of Cancer. And I do have some of the traits of the crab. Hard shelled outside, but tender inside. And, as I understand it, the Moon is the controlling planet for Cancer. Does that explain something? I don't know.

All I know is that I feel like crying right now. My world is good. So what's the problem? I'm generally a happy, easy-going person, so what's going on? The Moon is just barely on the wane, so shouldn't I be full of myself? I am empathetic toward others' feelings, but I don't understand what's going on with myself.

Well, tomorrow is another day. Probably a stormy day, but, still, another day.

Shalom