As we watch our children grow, we become accustomed to their abilities, no longer impressed by the simple things they learn to do over the years. Their once impressive feats formerly resulted in parents flaunting, “Isn’t she advanced?!” Now, their achievements have transformed into expectations that are to be met at all times. As they mature as individuals, our forecast for their behavior becomes more nuanced, complex, and rigid.

Recap: Yehudis is trying to adjust to her new school. She’s still bothered by the lack of any baby pictures of her. In school, she makes a mistake when the teacher gives a math challenge problem and she answers it. This makes an enemy of Chevi, the class math genius, who is friends with the one girl Yehudis was trying to be friends with. Her father brought home the Marietta journal, as the librarian said they could borrow it, and she starts reading again to distract herself.

Due to advertisements that recently surfaced in the Jewish community, Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt – Associate Rabbi at the Young Israel of Woodmere and Chairman of the Department of Infectious Disease and Hospital Epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital – took it upon himself to deliver one of his Motza’ei Shabbos talks that became commonplace during the heat of the pandemic, this time refuting the ads’ talking points. The stream was aired live this past Saturday night via the Young Israel of Woodmere’s platform.

Life can be hard. So hard. Everyone has their own story, and no one feels understood in their struggle. The examples are endless, and no less devastating than one another. A difficult child, a sick spouse, an overbearing parent, the loss of a loved one, financial struggle, self-deprecation, suffered abuse, trouble in shidduchim, destroyed reputation, commitment difficulty, an overshadowing sibling, a learning disability, judgmental home environment… each a catch-phrase that cheapens the desolation it causes.