I cooked a lot today. Big batches of food. And so, naturally, I sang the blessings in the kitchen as I finished up putting a chicken in the crock pot. I had been cooking with Asa on my back, and all my attention went towards him and the cooking. Then James took Asa off to play, and suddenly I was happily singing the blessings and sailing through the rest of the tasks! I thought to myself, wow, what a difference it makes to sing. Look at how the blessings make everything seem brighter. But, really, I have to admit that the big difference was not carrying Asa as I worked.

Nevertheless, it is fun to have his eye on things, to see what he points out, to give a running commentary about what I am doing. With him around, I pay attention to the everyday in new ways.

Baruch atah adonai eloheynu chey ha'olamim pokeach ivrim. Blessed are you, the Lamp, Our God, Life of All the Worlds, who makes the blind to see.

Blessed are You, the One Who Sees, our God, who helps me pay attention.