A Moment in Time: Pointing and Smiling

Dear all,

My father used to travel around the world when he was growing his business. I once asked, “How do you get along in countries where you don’t speak the language?”

He responded, “Pointing and smiling can do wonders.”

I thought of his wisdom the other day while sitting by the window with my twins. A woman looked up at us from the street below and raised two fingers (as if to ask, “Twins?”)

I smiled with a thumbs up.

She then pointed to herself and raised two fingers in the air.

She smiled broadly and walked on.

Was she saying, “I, too, am a twin”? Or, “I, too, have twins”?

Unclear. But what is clear is that I made this awesome connection with a stranger. And those connections are so very important in these crazy times.

So go out there!

Smile.

Point.

Communicate.

And create a moment in time that will connect our physically distant world.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro