The spillover effect of this commitment has been nothing short of incredible

Introducing…

As busy mothers, juggling family, work, and communal obligations, many of us miss our school days when we had the time and peace of mind to daven long Shemoneh Esrehs and sit in inspirational classes.

Not me.

I’m not a terrible person, really! I’m just a very pragmatic one who finds more satisfaction in providing my kids with enriching activities, and setting a nice Shabbos table than cracking open a sefer.

I’m a super-organized perfectionist — the type who gets stressed out when my freezer is messy. I check off to-do items all day long, and listening to the Chazak hotline or calling in to Tehillim conferences just aren’t my thing. That’s okay, right?

The Challenge

Before last Rosh Hashanah, my mother mentioned that she wanted to participate in the OU’s Nach Yomi women’s program. My mother’s a recent retiree who’s like a kid in a candy store as she fills her days with shiurim and outings with friends, so what works for her may not be exactly what works for me. But she sent me the email, thinking I might find it interesting, too.

The program consists of a daily shiur on a perek of Navi, with a few different choices of speakers. Participants complete Nach in about two years.

I thought about my five kids, my bundle-of-energy two-year-old, my full-time job, the dishes in my sink — and didn’t give it another thought.

But then a friend mentioned it, too. True, she has a bit more breathing space in her life, but she’s in this stage too and gets it, and still, she was planning to try. She also pointed out that it wasn’t all or nothing. I can just listen to the shiur without following along inside. That felt much more manageable.

I agreed to give it a try, reminding myself that I could always drop the program if it got too tough.