A Message from the Rebbetzin for Evening with Gershon Wachtel
Shalom Uvrocha.
It is indeed true, I admit it! I never do anything the normal way… it always has to be that little bit different, more interesting perhaps, make life that little bit more exciting. So, when after 5 months of hiding my illness and chemotherapy I decided to “come out of the closet” with it, rest assured I didn’t just come out…I FELL out(ahem, gracefully of course). Who caught me? YOU! Each one of you in your own special way caught me with open arms, pleading prayers, an overabundance of mitzvos. All lezechut my refuah. You have not stopped and BH, the Almighty has shown me great kindness. With the Rebbe’s continuous brochas, I am seeing daily miracles-forward movement in my refuah which really is nothing less than miraculous. My gratitude to each of you is eternal… please keep carrying me, I am still too fragile to be set down.
Thank you to our phenomenal concert pianist, Mr. Gershon Wachtel, our family friend of over 25 years, for calling and suggesting that we make this evening- which I am sure will be a tremendous success. Please G-d, Gershon will return for my Seudas Hodaah. Thank you to our admired son-in-law Rabbi Mendel Plotke for his “blood, sweat, and tears” in making this evening a reality. It is all his, really, as Rabbi Overlander spends countless hours with me in chemotherapy each and every week, his company and support being imperative for my health and well being. My oncology care? I have been blessed to be under the brilliant care of Professor Justin Stebbings, who I believe has the Malach Rafoel, the Angel of Healing standing at his side. .He believes we can win and his positive attitude is whoa…catching! Yes, my house may be on fire, but you cannot imagine how many fire engines he has lined up to keep it from burning down! Quieting down the flames, bit by bit, with his expansive knowledge and belief in success, with the help of Hashem. My thanks goes to each of you,who have chosen to be here in this room tonight- so many firefighters shooting from so many directions! And I want to mention my devoted (read weary and worn out!) family’s hard work and endless patience so without compare! There is so much to be grateful for! The battle looms large and each of you are a precious and essential part of the chain of linking arms, forging ahead with achdus, one goal in mind-to lead to my refuah shlaima.
Speaking is the most difficult task at this time for me ; it takes more energy than I have. So for those of you who have held yourselves back from popping in or calling, you really still do get the mitzvah! I thank you! For those of you have been texting, I thank you for accepting my texts as enough communication, sometimes very short ones at that. Hopefully, this will be but a short period of quiet time, of healing, until I can come once again to Chabad House, Our Home Away From Home, to daven together to the Almighty, to listen to Rabbi Katz’s impeccable leining, to be with all the dear and precious people who have chosen to partake and enjoy the Rebbe’s Chabad House in Hendon, which is all of ours together to keep rejoicing in and keep building.
Every day, really every moment is a gift from Hashem to be utilized for a good and G-dly purpose. To appreciate a simple act of breathing painlessly, of watching the sun shining on a shimmering treetop, or of watching a wasp decide my lunch is now his! Each day brings additional joy through struggle, clarity through darkness, refuah through Brochas only the Rebbe can give. Greater good in my world, and surely greater good in the grand scheme of Moshiach’s imminent arrival.
Yes, “falling” out of the closet was the start of my beginning to heal-to share my difficulties with those who have in the past shared theirs with me. I thank each of you for catching me and continuing to carry me. Bright happy sunshine sure beats darkstuffy closets any day! Looking forward being able to speak with you in person, with Hashem’s help.
Rebbetzin Sara Leah