When I did my weekly grocery shopping earlier this week, I was faced with an interesting dilemma: should I buy strawberries (which two pints were being sold for $5- which the price I bought them for in the summer!), even though they aren’t in season in New York and they were imported from Mexico, or not? I had to stop and think about what I wanted to do – I really love strawberries and summer fruit, yet at the same time I have been trying to purchase some of my produce based on their seasonality. Though I came close to calling my friend for moral support, I chose not to buy them. So I reverted to buying pears. At least they were grown in America (even though they could have been grown in a place which is further away than Mexico is from NY – but I am not going to stress over this too much!) and generally always in season since they store well, as apples do.

But we are so spoiled in America! After living in Israel for a year and half I grew to appreciate seasonal produce more than I did before because when I didn’t have the freedom to buy any produce which I desired at any given time, I took advantage of buying them when they were available! I remember leaving Israel for a week during that period and was thrilled to have bananas, since they weren’t in season at that time in Israel. My friend, who currently lives in Israel, told me a similar story where earlier this year she went to a small local grocery store and wanted to make a salad with avocados for shabbos. When asked if there were any left in his store, the owner gave her a crazy look and said she just missed the season for them! She went to several stores, but alas was unsuccessful in her search.

As I was thinking about this I realized that, as a Jew, I find myself in similar predicaments relating to areas of spirituality and my observance of mitzvoth. I strive to constantly be thinking about my spirituality, about my connection with God, what He wants from me, and how I can better my relationship with Him through my observance of His commandments. But again – I am human. I can’t beat myself up when I forget to make a blessing on a food item; rather try to commit not to forget it the next time I am in the same situation. I am far from a “saint” in this area, but it’s a goal that I hope to work on for the rest of my life.

Will I always succeed in this struggle, as I was earlier this week? Probably not because I am human. But I am proud of myself for thinking before acting. I’ll tell you this – I eagerly wait for spring for me to enjoy my strawberries and blueberries. And until then, I’ll enjoy frozen ones!