Jewish Proverb

The following proverb was in an email I received this morning:

"I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders."

--Jewish proverb

It made me think.  How much do each of us burden ourselves with stuff that we really don't need to?  Do we worry about things that are outside of our control?  Are we expected to carry all our burdens?


From the Dictionary at www.reference.com:

as a noun:

1. that which is carried; load: a horse's burden of rider and pack. 

2. that which is borne with difficulty; obligation; onus: the burden of leadership. 

3. Nautical .

  a. the weight of a ship's cargo.

  b. the carrying capacity of a ship.

4. Mining.  overburden

5. Metallurgy . the minerals charged into a blast furnace or steelmaking furnace.

6. Accounting.  overhead

as a verb (used with object):

7. to load heavily.

8. to load oppressively; trouble.

We all have stuff we carry (definition 1): backpacks, purses, computers, phones, etc.
We all have obligations (definition 2): work, school, etc.

What do we do that we feel is a burden that is not really part of the definition?  Can you shift some of the burden to others?

I admit, I have never been a great cook.  I can make some things, but I need a recipe and very rarely will I come up with something good to eat without one.  As a mother, as a wife, the societal obligation was that I would cook for my family.  Well, we would probably starve... this is an obligation I have shared with my husband (especially because he is the better cook!).

Have you volunteered to help set up monthly meetings for a group?  Do you feel overwhelmed with finding a location and getting food/drinks, etc?  Well, ask for help!

Do you do things to "keep up with the neighbors?"  Their kid plays sports and has dance lessons and gets music lessons.  Did you sign your kid up for all those things too and now you complain about having to drive them all over the place?  See if you can car-pool.  Ask your kid what interests them the least and see if you can drop that.

(And yes, I know that this entire post is the exact opposite of the sentiment in the proverb above.)

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Sorry for the thought-provoking post today...

on to something a little lighter....

It's Thumpin' Thursday!  Follow along at this blog hop: 

There are usually about 100 or so blogs that link up, ranging from couponing, to personal websites, to DIY projects.....and the list goes on.  Check out a few - you never know what you may find!