I never knew that when my daughter got married I would be gaining not just a son-in-law but a glimpse into a whole new world, the world of juggling.
This being the middle of Passover (Chol HaMoed), Israel is having its annual juggling convention at a lovely place called Gan HaShlosha (Sachne). It is a beautiful park with pools of water and waterfalls up in the north of the country not far from Bet Shean.
When I drove the young couple to the convention, I hadn’t expected to see anything but people juggling. When I got there, I was overcome by the variety of people attending—from all walks of life—all sizes, shapes, colors, dressed in every possible type of garb one could imagine.
Here is what I saw: These people were friendly, kind, helpful to each other, accepting, open, and enjoying themselves. It seems to me that they have found through their avocation, some of the secrets of living a good life. Some of the things they know are:
1. When your neighbor drops something, help him pick it up, just as he will pick up when you drop
2. Pay attention to where you throw things.
3. Keeping a lot going at a time requires concentration.
4. Handling a lot of things at once sometimes makes you look awkward.
5. Accomplishing difficult things takes lots and lots of practice.
6. You can always learn more.
7. It is legitimate to enjoy life.
I left the jugglers in a teeming rain by the pools of water and waterfalls, surrounded by bougainvillea and lush trees and grass and through the pouring rain there was the sound of laughter and the beauty of joy.
