Indulging myself

I splurged last week. A small splurge, but on what appears to be a totally unnecessary purchase. I think of it, however, as an important indulgence. What kind of splurge inspired this posting? I bought a skinit for my work phone.

I could argue that I needed it to distinguish my phone from all the other phones on those rare occasions when we're all in the office, but that isn't the reason I bought it. (Although I think that was part of the reason I gave myself.) I could say it was because there was a special deal with free shipping, but if I hadn't bought one I would have not only not paid for shipping, but I would have also not paid to buy it. My real reason for buying it was that I could choose and upload my own picture.


In the past four months, we've had a number of family simchas. We've also had one very difficult, untimely loss. The picture on my skinit is a joyful, smiling photo from one of the simchas. I can't look at it without smiling. I look at it and remember how happy we all were. I look at it and I remember that the pain of our loss was also a part of the day. The photo reminds me that a month after one of the worst days in our lives, we celebrated one of the happiest.

When I see this photo as I'm working, I'm reminded that all of us have mixtures of love and loss, celebration and loneliness in our lives. It reminds me not to take my blessings for granted. It reminds me that joy may be followed by sorrow and then again, God willing, by joy. The photo helps me remember that I want to work to live, not live to work. It reminds me to turn off the phone when the day or the week is over.


The photograph is not a talisman. It won't protect me from the pain that comes with my work or the pain that comes with life. But I hope it will protect me from becoming callous or indifferent. I hope it will always make me smile. When I think about the joy the photo gives me, it is clear that this splurge was not an extravagance and not really an indulgence, but another important weapon in my battle against burnout.