How Do You Define Freedom?

Friday night my parents hosted the annual Passover Seder at their home It was probably one of our largest gatherings ever. I was thrilled to have the ENTIRE Delagi clan joining us from Dallas: Beth*Greg*Matt*Sam*Hannah*Evan*Ben*Wilbur*
Dexter (that is one mom, one dad, five kids and two dogs)!!!

Emily, Beth, ME, Hannah & Dexter

Our families have shared many big and small moments as the kids were growing up, but this was the first time in years that most of us(sadly, Josh was in NYC and couldn't be there to join us) were all together in the same place. Now, many of the kids are grown (we drank a lot more wine collectively than at our past seders) and it is fun to watch them all hanging out together.
We have a serious seder. My dad, the Rabbi, does not take any shortcuts. We laugh. We sing. We eat. We drink. We drink some more. But we do this holiday justice. We work our way diligently through the whole Haggadah. Dad expertly doles out parts and everyone --from the youngest to the oldest--has a part to play. Mom does all the behind-the-scenes work. She cooks, she sets a beautiful table, she hides the afikomen and she buys wonderful gifts for all the finders of the hidden matzoh. My mother does not like anyone to be disappointed--esp. children--so she hides enough little matzoh morsels for everyone at the table UNDER 30.  That's a lot of hidden matzoh!
The Passover story is a story of freedom. We are all lucky to live in a country where, most days,  we take our freedom for granted. Not only are we granted "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," but we are also free to practice our religion even though we are in the minority. Of course, there have been issues of freedom even in this great country. There was a sad time when blacks were slaves, women have fought valiantly for equal rights in the workforce, and the battle for same sex marriage is ongoing.

I think that it is fair to say that we might all define freedom a little differently. For me, as I struggled at a particularly difficult juncture in my life, freedom came to mean having my insides and my outsides match.
It meant being free to live the kind of life, to be the kind of person, I wanted to be. It meant creating a safe and loving home for myself and my children. Life is a series of choices and we are free to choose our own path. Sometimes, we choose wisely, sometimes we don't...but that freedom to create our own life is more of a gift than a burden.

As I have grown up (I think I am still growing up), I have learned that going down the wrong path can have its merits. When I take a risk, I feel alive even if the end result is not exactly what I would have wanted.  Each time I step beyond my comfort zone, I grow. We should all embrace that kind of freedom.

The Israelites' freedom came at a price for the Egyptians. One of my favorite parts of the seder is when we take a drop of our wine and symbolically give it away in memory of each of the plagues visited on the Egyptians. Friday night, Beth brought an adorable array of plague masks and the kids donned them during that part of the seder. They were locusts and boils and wild beasts, etc.

Some days, we feel plagued by the price of freedom as well. We have so many choices to makes each day, and some nights we go to bed with our own small share of regrets. We second guess ourselves and question the wisdom of our actions.

And then, we wake up and start again. We embrace our freedom and recognize the responsibility that comes hand in hand with it. The seder ends with a wish that all people everywhere will soon know freedom. Lets celebrate our freedom and work to free those who are still bound.