Little Moments

There are days, minutes, moments in my life where I stop, look around, and think to myself some variation of: “this is my JAM,” “this is what it’s all about,” “I am so happy right now.” (Disclaimer: The following post is so very annoyingly upbeat and corny, so please stop reading if you think my positive ‘tude and accounts of my awesome life will affect our friendship.)

It’s like when my high school best friends and I are all in town at the same time, snuggling and giggling on one of our couches, or when my house is filled with people on Thanksgiving.  When I’m at the Jupiter beach in December, or when I’m singing the War Chant in a sea of 80,000 people who are doing it too, all clad in garnet and gold.

Times like these are what life is built on. And no, they aren’t just memories. They are feelings that come from the depths of your soul, mind, body, heart. It’s proven that memory and sense of smell have a high connection (mothballs and my grandpa’s in Delaware, black ChapStick and my dad skiing), but I’m telling you, I think it’s actual moments and feelings that have the real connection. It’s like a memory that fills you with more than nostalgia, way more than a few minutes of reminiscing. It’s a feeling that everything is so right, that’s there’s nowhere else you should be, nothing else you should be doing. And not in a “that bar was too packed so I ended up at this bar but I am having a great time regardless,” way. It’s like I am somewhere because I want to be, I am supposed to be and it’s perfect. Just. Fucking. Perfect. In these moments I am truly so happy I feel I could combust. Instead, I scream. (If you know me, then you know this to be true. Very, very true.)

This morning, in its entirety, was one of those moments. OTZMA set up a volunteer day with the local college in Karmiel to help give one of the elementary schools (which we have some participants volunteering at) a “makeover.” Benches, fences, sculptures and street games (hop scotch, tic tac toe etc.) needed painting, flowers needed planting and mosaics needed gluing.

For those of you who do not know me, I thrive on anything artsy, creative and messy.  I am self-named right brained. In school, I always did well in English and terrible in math. I’ve always done the homemade gift thing (not JUST because it’s cheaper!) because I love it. I make shadowboxes for every occasion and have two of my own craft boxes that have traveled with me between Jupiter and Tallahassee many, many times. I am not a REAL artist, but when I am physically doing something that allows me to be creative, I am so happy. So, to say that I was excited for this volunteer day would be the understatement of the year.

As I helped a little girl named Rita shape a blade of grass out of green tiles, my hands covered in layers of red paint and glue the consistency and color of hummus, I looked around at the bustling courtyard. Kids zoomed around screaming with delight as we handed them paint brushes and large tiles to break by throwing them on the ground, smashing them with hammers. Israeli music, laughter, excitement and directions were floating in the sweet October air. Volunteers (American and Israeli), kids, teachers and OTZMA staff buzzed through, around, inside and outside of the school with supplies, smiles, snacks, water, and the willingness to help in anyway. It was truly a beautiful scene. I was (and still am!) undeniably happy, peaceful and content. What more could you ask for out of life? Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Is playing with kids and doing art and being outside in another country and then coming home to write about it a real thing? Today it was. And I’d like to make it a thing for the rest of my life. Traveling the world doing art projects with children and then writing about it literally sounds like the most perfect life in the entire world. And it shall be mine!

Kids watching the Opening Ceremony.

Littles welcoming us at the Opening Ceremony.

Tiles before we broke them.

Have you ever gotten to leave class and smash tiles? I haven’t!

So much fun!! Making progress too!!

Almost completely finished wall.