{"id":11611,"date":"2008-04-03T05:58:00","date_gmt":"2008-04-03T05:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/the_krechtz_dance\/"},"modified":"2015-10-28T11:21:28","modified_gmt":"2015-10-28T16:21:28","slug":"the_krechtz_dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/inspiration\/the_krechtz_dance\/","title":{"rendered":"The Krechtz Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It was two days to Passover and I was in my car again with five kids squashed into four seats. We were on our way to a mall, to do a bulk load up, food and cleaning supplies and new clothes for the kids. It wasn’t my idea of a good time, our glatt kosher larder was bare and, my sons insisted on commemorating the exodus decked out as miniature investment bankers.<\/p>\n

As I rumbled into the parking lot, a red sign flashed before my eyes\u2014 \u2014first parking level full. So were the next fifteen. I kept on driving, finally locating a tight spot, somewhere near the earth\u2019s core. My stomach was queasy with dread. This was a sign. The mall would be crowded, beyond crowded, teeming and I would need help to face it.<\/p>\n

Shutting my eyes for a moment, I whispered my favorite prayer. HELP<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Then I forced my sons together chain gang style and we walked in. The place was worse than I had expected, a veritable human sardine can. Entire families mothers and fathers, aunts, uncles, second and third cousins, machatunim<\/i>, babies who\u2019d just been born and nonagenarians with Filipino attendants were all here filling every inch of floor space and inhaling every molecule of oxygen Walking through was like playing a game of bumper cars. One wrong move and BAM, dozens of felled shoppers and scattered parcels all over.<\/p>\n

My prayer, short as it was must have been heard because three hours later I was the owner of two wagon loads of groceries and four child sized pin striped suits.<\/p>\n

I should have been dancing for joy, but I wasn\u2019t. My post purchasing mood was dark, indigo edging toward black and my energy level was way down, roughly on par with a sponga<\/i> cloth, after a long session on a grimy floor.<\/p>\n

As I led my crew out of the mall, bad thoughts percolated in my brain.<\/p>\n

This holiday is just too hard, too much work. I can\u2019t take it. <\/i><\/p>\n

After that, I let out a long soulful Oyyyyy<\/i>.. My kids smirked .They were used to a mommy who made strange noises.<\/p>\n

I was anticipating the ride back home with dread; the kids falling into early evening crankiness, fighting, crying, screaming. I wasn\u2019t up for peacekeeping…Once again, I turned again to G-d.\u00a0Hisbodedus<\/i>, spontaneous prayer while waiting for the elevator.<\/p>\n

C\u2019mon G-d<\/i> I whispered, my eyes momentarily shut. You can do anything. Send me a reservation to a hotel. Nice. Four stars please, not one of those cheap places with scratchy blankets and roaches. <\/i><\/p>\n

Then I opened my eyes. Standing in front of me was a familiar smiling face. No, it wasn\u2019t Elijah the prophet with the reservations \u2013this isn\u2019t that<\/i> kind of story. It was just Jennie, my former neighbor.<\/p>\n

I felt a rush of joy at seeing a friendly face, another adult. Just what I needed. My partner for the krechtz<\/i> dance.<\/p>\n

In case you\u2019re not familiar, the krechtz<\/i> dance isn\u2019t a real dance like the Twist, or the Lindy Hop or the SpongeBob. It\u2019s an ancient non verbal communications technique for letting off psychic steam.<\/p>\n

The dance goes something like this.<\/p>\n