Dear all,
This week, I found myself returning to an old Yiddish expression: Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht — “We plan, and God laughs.”
Why did this come to mind?
Our family was on our way home from vacation when a lengthy delay on our first leg forced an unexpected overnight in Chicago.
Not just any overnight—the only available flight was 24 hours later.
Summoning every ounce of enthusiasm I could muster, I told the kids, “We’re going to have an adventure in Chicago.”
And, in the end, we did.
We wandered the halls of the Museum of Science and Industry.
We stood in quiet awe before the Chagall Windows at the Art Institute.
We approached Cloud Gate in Millennium Park with wonder.
We ascended the Hancock Tower, taking in the view from the sky.
And yes—there was ice cream.
By the time we finally landed at LAX close to midnight, we were tired and more than a little cranky.
This was not our plan.
But somewhere along the way, it became something else. We chose to meet disruption not with frustration, but with opportunity. We allowed an inconvenience to become an invitation.
Life will inevitably hand us delays, detours, and disappointments. The question is not whether our plans will change—but whether we are willing, in that moment in time, to change with them, and to discover the unexpected blessings waiting just beyond the plan.
With love and Shalom,
Rabbi Zachary R. Shapiro
