So, the good news for all my readers, is that every single week’s challah baking is a new experience.
It’s actually quite shocking that you can do the exact same thing each week, and it can be different each time.
My challah dough really is a great reflection of my state of mind. And this week’s challah dough was floppy. Hmmm.
Don’t need to be a psychoanalyst here – I know exactly what’s going on.
I’m in a wishy-washy state of mind.
How so, you ask?
There have been things that need to be finished in my life, (my book, as an example!) and the major problem here is that there is no hard deadline. If you’ve read my stuff, you know already – I work best under (intense) pressure.
Add to the mix, 8 days of Chanukah (parties, presents, and dougnuts-oh my), my husband out of town for the weekend for the 3rd time in almost as many weeks, one of my sons away in yeshiva and another away in Florida for the week on his own.
So, my family is all over the place – and my mind feels that way also, and I’m having a hard time making any decisions – I feel weak-kneed at the thought of having to choose one thing or the other, and it’s causing some serious procrastinating on my end.
That’s what I mean by feeling wishy-washy. Can you relate?
It occurs to me that all procrastination comes from the inability (or the lack of desire) to make a concrete decision. As soon as a decision is made, it’s so much easier to get moving on whatever actions need to be taken.
That’s exactly what happened when making my challah dough this morning – I was a bit paralyzed by a small indecision, it wasn’t even a huge deal, but it was a reflection of some other big decisions that need to be made right now, and which I’m having a really hard time making.
So, somehow, this paralysis worked its way into my kneading, and I didn’t nearly knead the dough for long enough . . . poor dough. Now it’s all floppy, the gluten didn’t develop properly, and my challahs look a little bit sad and saggy today.
I’m sure they’ll taste great, and I’ll say a little extra prayer when putting them in the oven. But, I’m going to have to work on my floppiness this week, so that next week when my challah dough has risen, it will be firm and solid, bouncy and lively – and so will I!
Here’s to making decisions quickly and well, clarity of vision and intent, and getting stuff done right away.
May all our decisions be wise and true, and may the results rise beautifully.
Good Shabbos!