Dear Dr. Yael,
I want to tell you an amazing story that happened to me that is true hashgacha pratis. I met a couple in a restaurant that was supposed to be in Florida. They were forced to return to the tristate area due to a storm in Florida. My husband and I became friendly with them in the restaurant as they told us their tale of woe. Apparently they left their large family and planned this couples vacation only to come to the airport from which they left. We started speaking to them as they relayed their frustration. We figured out that the man’s mother was the maid of honor at my wedding. This was incredible since I haven’t spoken to her in years. The man who is a very warm, caring, and religious person then came home to our house with his amazing wife and we figured out how many actual connections we had.
They slept over at our house at my husband’s insistence even though they had a reservation at a hotel. The next morning my husband took him to shul and then they came back and this man showed me how to put tefillin on my dad, who is aging, and he taught me how to do it for the future. This man was very patient and caring and Sephardic so my father could relate to him. I was so delighted that my father responded to this wonderful man. I felt Hashem sent me a shaliach to help my aging Sephardic father. It was like getting a kiss from Hashem.
A Reader
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story. We live in such hard times and it is so important for us to always look for Hashem’s hugs and kisses. Once we open our eyes to the positive things around us and the “little” things Hashem does for us all of the time, we will see so many hugs and kisses from Hashem. Positive thinking helps us focus on the good in any situation. Instead of this couple lamenting on their lost vacation, they found a way to make a difficult situation positive. You also were positive and welcoming and that positivity and generosity brought blessing to your life.
A person who thinks positively anticipates good things and believes they can overcome whatever obstacles come their way. When you are positive, you tend to be happier and more content with life and it will boost your self-confidence as well as your physical and mental health. I hope people can learn from you and your husband’s positivity as well from this couple’s positivity.
Dear readers, if you find yourself struggling with being positive, there are some things to try:
Engage in positive self-talk. Don’t say things to yourself that you would not say to a good friend. Be understanding, gentle, accepting, and loving to yourself as you would with someone else that you care about.
Practice gratitude. If we think about all the things we are grateful for, it can help us be more positive. We all have stressors in our life, but taking a step back and focusing on all the good things will help us be more positive.
Spend time with positive people. When you surround yourself with positivity, it rubs off on you and will help you be a more positive person.
Take care of your physical well-being. If you eat, sleep, exercise, and take care of yourself, you will be a more positive person. When you feel good physically, you’re more likely to feel better emotionally and mentally. Taking care of yourself physically also helps you deal with stressful situations.
Thank you again for sharing this wonderful story and for bringing out this idea of gratefulness and positivity. May your father live a long and healthy life and may you always see all of Hashem’s hugs and kisses. Hatzlacha!
