Passover 2015

I'm a bit behind the times, but wanted to record what our Passover was like this past year!

We started out by savoring the last bits of leavened bread:

On Passover, we clean our homes and get rid of (dust and dirt) and any leavened bread. Which is a fancy word for "flour and water that rises."  Basically think of all your Atkins diet culprits--bread, pizza, crackers, pretzels, etc.  And not eating those for eight days (or even keeping them in your house!)

We clean on a physical level, but we try to think of it as a spiritual cleansing too. There are so many negative things that clutter up our headspaces--resentment, pettiness, jealousy, insecurity, etc. etc. By focusing on "decluttering" the brain and getting back to the things that really matter, we can lead much more meaningful lives.

Easier said than done, of course--but life is a work in progress and I have found this mental practice each Passover to be so helpful!

This year, we spent Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew--that's the term I usually use) we went to my family in Ohio for the full holiday. That is over eight full days of family time--and it was super fun!

We hit up the Columbus Zoo:

And COSI, a fantastic kids museum! No photos of this one, because Moshe was a crazy man and I could hardly keep up with him!

There was time with my parents, with old friends, and--critical when you are in Ohio--for Graeters!!

The best part of all was watching my kids get so close with their grandparents and aunt and uncle. It was so sweet!

So that was one great Pesach for the books. And now to a fresh, and lighter, and more positive rest of the year!