Tuesday, September 3, 2013

The Ziggy Sheets: A #BlogElul Post

When my sister and I were kids, we loved Ziggy, the fat, bald comic strip guy waving to you over there on the left. 

I'm especially indebted to him for teaching me the joy of giving.

The story goes something like this...

I don't know where my sister was at the time, but one summer day when I was about 10 or 11, my mom and I were out shopping.  I wasn't looking for a birthday gift for my sister's August birthday, and I didn't have a specific gift in mind. 

And then I saw the Ziggy sheets.  Adorned with a geometric pattern of wide stripes together with Ziggy and his dog, Fuzz, the set included a fitted sheet, a flat sheet and two pillow cases, all perfectly sized for her twin bed with the canopy.

They were the perfect gift, and I could hardly contain my excitement at having found them.  On the morning of her birthday, I nearly jumped out of my skin before she finally unwrapped the package--leaving us to squeal with little-girl delight at the wonderful find. 

Over the years, she often let me borrow the beloved sheets and even now, four decades later, they still are the (threadbare) linens of choice when one or the other of us spends the night at 12 Webster Road.

Inspired by Ima on (and off) the Bima, this post is one in a series marking the days of the Hebrew month of Elul, which precedes the Jewish High Holidays and traditionally serves as a time of reflection and spiritual preparation for the new year.