My grandfather is being buried as I write these words, and I’m 9000 miles away, thinking about him and missing my family so very much. I spoke with my mom briefly before she headed out to the funeral home, and she told me that my grandmother, my Nana, wasn’t going to the funeral. She is… Read More Saying Goodbye
There are times when the mitzvah that you set out to do doesn’t end up being the one that you accomplish – and when you end up getting more from an experience than you gave. And that was the night that I had last night. While visiting Stella in the hospital last night, I heard… Read More The Dust Bowl Pioneer
Some would say that it’s not the nicest thing to call your best friend a devil as she struggles to endure the pain of her recent surgery – but we’ve all got to do what we’ve got to do. Stella is not feeling heroic. She’s in a great deal of pain, completely and totally understandable… Read More The Heroic Devil
It’s hard to believe that Stella has reached this point. Sometime in June, when all of this began, they were told over the phone that her scan didn’t look good. The doctor, however, didn’t want to talk about it over the phone and he scheduled a time for them to come in the next day.… Read More A New Beginning
“Um, excuse me,” she began, “but aren’t you Yarden Frankl?” Looking around the table at us and our forming giggles, Yarden turned to the eager young girl. “Yeah…” “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed. “I just knew it. And you’re Stella,” she said, pointing to the other end of the table. “I’m writing an article about… Read More The World Eating Tour and Chance Encounters
I wonder if some cultures have a party, or a ceremony, or something for the day that they nurse their last baby. I could really use one right now. What a strange feeling. When I had Matan, someone came to visit me (with a Starbucks latte – yum!) and told me a beautiful thing about… Read More The End of an Era
It all started yesterday at about 2 pm. Matan got a mysterious phone call asking if we had room to sleep two boys. He answered “yes.” Hmmm….well, ok. Since he had already answered yes, I figured we could scrounge up some sheets and welcome them in for Shabbat. “Um,” I asked Matan, “Who is this… Read More Operation Solomon and a Game of Monopoly
Life is so full of surprises, and today’s surprise took my breath away. While I was on the cancer ward today, I helped a woman about my age to move from the day ward to a bed. She had been sitting with us and she was overcome with the need to lie down. I felt… Read More Singing for a Cure
Should you happen to see me on the street these days and to ask how I’m doing, here is my answer: This is Rivka Frankl. The same Rivka whose mother was told five months ago, as we sat in the oncologist’s office in Jerusalem, that she had inoperable, late stage stomach cancer. The same Rivka… Read More Believing in Miracles
Yes, I’m a broken record. Every year now, for the last three years, I’ve kveled during the Chodesh Irgun ceremonies for B’nei Akiva. For those of you who don’t speak Israeli youth language, this is the month right after the holidays when our kids (from 4th grade and up) start their youth group activities… Read More The Promise of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
