“We really, really do not care what is wrong with the plan or the setup or the gift or anything, okay? So don’t say a word”

P

-Enough food for everyone. Even if I did need to make three suppers.

-Toys. Even though no one plays with them. No, Chava, you’re supposed to be positive here.

She crossed out toys and wrote school.

-No homework tonight. That should get two mentions.

Did everyone find this so hard? Could she seriously not find five things to be positive about? Okay, so today had been a hard day, raining and kvetchy kids, but maybe there really was something wrong with her.

-Tzvi took out the garbage during supper even though it was raining and he wanted to wait until he went to his shiur.

-Tziporah cleared the table after supper without a fuss.

That last one was attributable to this positivity journal, Chava was sure. She’d noticed small changes in her family since she had started her program, and tonight she hadn’t corrected Tziporah for stacking all the dishes incorrectly in the sink (she should have put the plates on the bottom, then bowls and cups, cutlery in a bowl, so everything could be washed easily, instead of just dumping it all in at once) even though she’d really wanted to let her daughter know — for future reference.

So today she could mark another positive day.

Four positive days. She’d been doing it for a month, and four consecutive positive days was her record. If she wasn’t being positive she’d say that was pretty depressing.

***

“And guess what, Chava? We really, really do not care what is wrong with the plan or the setup or the gift or anything, okay? So don’t say a word. We worked it out already.”

Chava felt punched. There was something wrong, but she hadn’t planned on saying it, she’d already caught herself earlier with Tzvi, and she really wanted to mark a positive day. But really? If they wanted this to be a family event, they’d have to do it differently.

This whole Simi and Yehudis planning it alone thing, then telling Chava about it, so it would be a sisters thing they’d present to the rest of the family, which meant the sisters-in-law, duh, was a recipe for disaster.

“She’s, like, itching to say something, Simi,” Yehudis said, laughing. “Look at her.”

“Fine, spit it out.”

“Nothing,” Chava said. “I can’t wait to come. Let me know what you want me to make.”

“Come on, Chava, don’t be like that. Just say it.”

“Nothing. Seriously.”

“Chava, don’t be a baby. You have great ideas and suggestions, and we want to hear them. Just don’t knock the whole idea and give us 500 reasons why it won’t work. We’re going to make it work.”

“Nothing, Yehudis. Nothing. I’m so excited about this. I’m starting my diet now.”

Four positive days. It was still her record.