A Moment in Time: “What Makes a Good Relationship?”

Dear all,

We have a special set of dominos that have animal faces on one side. The same domino “rules” apply…. Each animal face must match the same animal face in the adjoining domino(crocodile to crocodile, giraffe to giraffe, etc.)

Our toddler twins understood the concept easily. But then Maya matched a cat to a dog (circled in blue above). I explained again the rules of the game. Maya looked at me and said:

”But daddy…. The doggy and the kitty cat are best friends. They HAVE to be together!”

So much for teaching old concepts that define what makes a match!

In that moment in time, I remembered that the best of relationships aren’t about people who are alike. Rather – relationships are about people who can see one another, hear one another, and support one another. Relationships are about building bridges, maintaining communication, and learning to embrace those with differences.

I let the game board stand just as Maya left it.

(Not sure how easy it will be when she needs to follow the rules of games when she gets to school!)

With love and shalom.

Rabbi Zach Shapiro