In 1995 I spent the summer as a counselor in CGI of Potomac.  It was an amazing time, but eventhough I was young and carefree I remember noticing with awe the love and attention Zlata paid her family.  Even after a long day, she had energy and focused attention for her kids and she was fully present and enjoying them.  Her kids were still very young and yet you could tell that was where she wanted to be. 
 
There was a dinner rotation each night, but she always welcomed us wholeheartedly and offered us whatever food she had on hand. It seemed like she was always at the counter cutting vegetables.
 
Sometimes after camp we would come and hang out together in the dining room exhausted and hot, but drawn to her magnetic warmth and she would knead our shoulders and ask us about our day.  I remember her pointing out differant things here and there and telling us how Benny bought her a present every month for the first year of her marriage and how nice it was for her.  When I graduated high school and my parents took me to buy a gift, I chose a thinner version of the necklace she wore all the time.  I remember holding it in the store downtown debating if it was really my taste or if I was attracted to it because of the warm memories it brought up. 
 
Sometimes she would say "let's go" and we would go along on errands and just chill.  Once we were out together and she pointed out some pencil boxes and offered to personalize them for our siblings as coming home gifts.  We were quite a large group and we all sat around as she decorated those boxes for us in paint markers (flowers for the girls and stars for the boys).
 
As a mother now b"H, I tell my kids stories of my adventures away at differant camps as a girl.  They know that summer in Maryland was my favorite one. I know now it's not just because of the group of girls that clicked well or the hillarious head counselor and her crazy adventures and the fun excursions we went on.  I realize that summer contributed to my personal aspirations as a family-person and mother.
 
Zlata's neice was a counselor with us that summer and it struck me even then how positively Zlata spoke of her extended family.  She was excited a married neice was coming soon with her new baby for a visit, oy so and so is having a hard time, wondering how this one was doing, delighted for that one for whatever reason...laughing and happy for them; wishing eveyone well.
 
The way she made her children a priority was inspiring.  Eventhough they were young and she must have been tired she seemed so content around her kids. Like that was exactly where she wanted to be.  When a package of new clothes came for Aidie she was so excited and had her try everything on giving feedback like a friend and stroking her hair whispering to us how beautiful her daughter is. Same on Friday nights.  She would listen to Sendy sing at the table and kvell to us in the kitchen.  Her twins were very small and she was constantly smushing them and kissing them telling us how she herself adored her own twin and what a gift it was. I remember her kind of pinching our arms telling us what a good girl "my" Rochie is. 
 
As a busy mom myself b"H I think back on this and try to remind myself to revel in the moment with my kids and really enjoy them.  To get off the phone and stop trying to rush out with a friend whenever I have a free moment and to just relax and hang with my kids fully. So they feel as important and adored as they are. Obviously I love my family to pieces, but I want them to know it to the core like her kids do. 
 
 

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