Could Have Been a Mitzvah

Could Have been a Mitzvah

While visiting Florida with my in laws I had a funny thing happen. Lest anyone think that I am always doing the right thing and always take advantage of the mitzvahs I can do sometimes some of them escape me too. Let me explain.

We had gone to the beach on a gorgeous Florida day. I had been swimming with the children, while everyone else looked on. At the end of our afternoon, I was wet and cold and ready to go home. My father in law had been parked in the handicapped spot and when he was getting into the car an older woman who saw that we were leaving must have wanted to use our spot after we left. I guess her husband had left to go get his car from somewhere else. We took plenty of time to  pack up all of our belongings in the trunk and pile in. I was frankly tired, sticky and uncomfortable and certainly not patient. After we all got settled my father in law was sitting and waiting. He told us about the woman waiting for her husband to take our spot. I started whining that I wanted to go already. My family started teasing me when I was the one who didn’t want to wait any longer to help this woman and they coined the phrase, “Could Have Been a Mitzvah”. They were all willing to wait for her husband but I wasn’t. I guess we lost our opportunity for a mitzvah that day. I’ll work hard not to lose many more chances like that.

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