Priorities

It was one of those "meltdowns."

That's it I'm unsubscribing to the Wall Street Journal. What $42 a month? No wonder my cc bill is $%*88. Everything adds up. The gas I got last week? And when I picked up groceries that one Thursday. Oh, and I had to pay a copay for the strep that wasn't (b" h).

"You think these everyday expenses is what's adding up? Let me see your statement," my mother said- "#paperless, but I'll screenshot it to you."

My mother took one look at the statement and said there's nothing wrong with spending at your age, but it's all a matter of priorities.

Certain clothes/dinner/activity excursions could've been toned down. The WSJ isn't setting you back, and neither is the minute pitching in for the household. If you watch a little, you'll see it balance out. It's all a matter of priority.

How you choose to spend your time and who you decide to share it with.

In the (guilt) trip of life it’s your call who gets to call shotgun.

There are friends we tell ourselves it's the "long-distance"/ different stages, so we lose touch.

Not true, and you know it. You know those GF's that text at 12:49 "hey wanna FaceTime?" and before you reply, "Always; just want to get this cream off first ;)" you're already dialing?

Don't get me started on the food; we've been there done that in Weight What?! But this principle holds true as well; it's all about what's more important to you. Do you want to look and feel good towards a higher goal, or is this moment of treaty worth it in the grand priority scheme of life? I'm all for #treaties, and you know that. Didn't Kate Moss say "Nothing tastes as good as feeling thin feels" (I'm going to get such backlash for this one. ;)

The same goes for Tefilla. I'm not losing sleep because Kriyas Shema takes too long…we all have the time to allocate accordingly. 15/30 minutes throughout the day to connect is doable, and quality DMC doesn't have to be so "penciled in" either. No one is forgetting to follow up on that critical WhatsApp/email/social media ping, so why is davening any different?

I know someone who visits their grandparents every week, and if that's not feasible a phone call is all it takes for that 2.5-minute convo

Grandfather/Zeidy "So nice to hear from you, all is good? No news is good news; okay, great, let me get Bobby."
Bobby "So tell me nu what's doiiiiinnnnnng? You can tell me, Zeeskeit. Okay, Zah Gibentched.”

A person's priorities are what show you where they choose to hang their hat and what they value as important. Dating horror story (not mine, a friends…no really) someone found the list a guy wrote about the pros and cons of continuing to date her; when she accidentally saw this list, kind of like a window into what he truly values. She realized his list was the biggest giveaway to scratch him off hers.

I heard a beautiful story about a couple, and one party (the wife is always the party) did something that the other could easily find fault in. He looked away (figuratively and literally) and said, "let's talk about this in a year from now." Like every good wife, she remembered to broach the topic a year to date* and he said, "what that? I told you to come to me in a year because I knew something like this wouldn't bother me a year later." Priorities.