Roller coasters

I hate roller coasters.

I do not willingly ride them. 
I also hate CODing (carrier on-board delivery - type of plane) onto a carrier. But I do it when I have to. 

This past Friday, I went from being Farklempt (choked up with emotion) out of gratitude for those communities States-side who are sending us food for Passover to sitting with a couple whose 10 day old baby had just died. The baby was 3 months early and had a 10% chance of survival. 

 While holding my emotions at bay, I sat with them, looked at the baby as the parents were saying their goodbyes to him, moved the language of the conversation to talking about the baby in the past tense and asked them what I can do for them. 

I wanted to ask them if they wanted to pray, but I think I would have started crying if I did I regret not asking (I don't want to say it, but this will help me the next time - God forbid - I have this situation again.) 

I then carried the death certificate to the office beginning the paperwork to send the couple home to bury the child states-side.

I have never loathed a piece of paper more in my life. 

But the roller coaster ride was not over.

I had my excited students in my basic Judaism class, a new member to our community attend services and oneg to get through before the roller coaster ride was over. 

And was I ever thankful the ride came to a complete stop and let me get out. Thank God for Shabbat as a time to recover and recharge.

Learning to 'Lean In'

Through my counseling these last few months, I noticed the trend of single marine parents could use a 'support network.' It is here that these parents can share their experiences and learn from each other. I have launched that support network recently and the responses were overwhelming and filled with excitement and appreciation.

And yet, I was not taking my own advice that I had created with these "lean in" groups.

In Okinawa, we are limited in what kosher for Passover (and kosher in genera) items will be coming in for the holiday. I placed the order with the commissary in September. There will be items that will not arrive that for me, are the tastes of Pesach (Passover). 

And then, I got an email from a parent of one of my marines asking me what the community can send to us in Okinawa. 

I choked up, overwhelmed with emotion. I don't like asking for help. I would rather lean away, then lean in on someone else. 

I shared my concerns about asking for too much or asking for the wrong things...I was trying to be practical. The parent's response made me cry. They WANT to help. They know it's hard to get kosher food, let alone kosher for Passover food here. "Please let us help."

So I asked for the things that will make this Pesach great, and bring a taste from home even though we are so far away.

And when I am stationed somewhere that I can easily get Kosher food, I will pay this kindness forward.

Finding Sanctuary

After a long three weeks of heavy counseling sessions, general workload, collateral duties and leading the Jewish community, I needed a place to re-center myself. A quiet place that would help me breathe and drop some of the tension that I have been carrying around with me.

In New York City, I escaped the noise and traffic and lost myself in Central Park. 

A friend introduced me to a garden off of Route 58.

Perhaps with divine intervention, my phone died and so I only got a few pictures before I stopped taking pictures and experienced the serenity surrounding me. I could have stayed there for hours.

I realized, after walking around the garden slowly and appreciating the placement of the path, the buddha, the pagodas... that my sanctuary cannot be my apartment, my office or the chapel. I need a place to commune with nature, to connect with God on a more intimate, quiet level. This is certainly a place I will return to on a more regular basis.  

Finding Balance - Shuriju Castle

What is a day of touring Naha and NOT going to Shuri (Shuriju) Castle?

I may need a day to recover from my day of touring.

Finding Balance - Touring Naha

It is very easy for me to loose myself in my work.
There is always more work to be done.
I was told that "07:30-16:30, Monday through Friday" is the exception, never the rule.

This means that I have to take advantage of when I do have a 96 (having off Monday and Tuesday) to do some sightseeing rather than stay at home.

So, with my friend Kris, I toured Kokusai Street.
And here is what I saw:

1) oversized hands karate chopping buildings and lizards climbing up walls

2) Murals on the floor depicting different Okinawan traditions:

              (A man making a shisa dog?)

             (Traditional Okinawa drums)

                 (Dragon boat races)

               (world's largest tug of war in the world)

                      (the Ryukyu King)

                    (The Naha Marathon)

                           (Shisa dogs)


3) Yep! The common alcohol of Okinawa has a very real and very dead Habu snake in it.
        (I could not find the sake where the Habu snake is fighting the scorpion.)

4) Life size statues to take pictures with. 

                        

 5) And some amazing Shisa Dogs

Okinawa Basketball

I attended my first Ryukyu Golden Kings basketball game.
They were playing the Osaka Evessa in Naha.
Along with 29 other marines and families, we watched as our team won the game, almost blowing a 17 point lead.

We were first entertained by the middle school basketball league.

After they played, they bowed to each side of the court.

The Golden Kings came onto the scene with a laser light show and Okinawan music with a techno beat.

The Golden King with the ball had the fastest hands on the court. And he's only 5'6"!

In the background, you can see signs hanging up of the team roster. The American import, Burns #2, McHenry #5, Newton #50 and from Trinidad, Trim #54 are in English. The rest of the team are in Kanji.

I found it funny that the opposing team's jersey said "HUMAN" on the front.
Thanks for letting us know.

We joined in with raising our "GO KINGS" signs. I was a little surprised that the signs were in English. Then again, if they were in Kanji, I would not know what to do with it.

One of the best parts was that when the Golden Kings were on the offensive, one song played. When they were on the defensive, it was another song. The music NEVER stopped except when there was a foul on the court.

It was a fast-paced game, shorter quarters and overall a great day.

Poker Face

A fellow chaplain said to me that I will hear every story in the spectrum of life and to not be surprised by any of it. I am so glad that I play poker because I needed my poker face several times in the last few weeks.

I have found that by not acting shocked by what I hear, it gives the marine or sailor the ability to continue to share their story without feeling judged.

At the same time, as has become the theme these last few weeks, the question is, to whom do I turn? Due to confidentiality issues, I cannot share what is said to me and yet, I need to be able to compartmentalize what I hear and not "take it home with me."

I am blessed to be surrounded by chaplains that are more than colleagues but are also friends. I would not be as successful as I am without them.

I should be so blessed (God willing) that everywhere I go, I am surrounded by amazing people who I can lean on when the weight of my job becomes too hard to bear alone.