One More Thing

The other day, I was responsible for setting the table for Friday night Shabbos. We were having 10 people, so I focused on getting everything right. The dishes were set, the silverware was in place along with a napkin, and the challah board was out with its cover. The challah was warming up in the oven, the kiddush cup and wine were in place, and the glasses were set with wine glasses and little cups to distribute the wine after kiddush. I thought I had everything done, and then it dawned on me that there was one more thing. We were missing salt and pepper.

I decided to take a shower. There was soap and towels in place, and I had everything ready to shave and take care of my hair. In I went into the shower and turned on the hot water. And then it just happened. The hot water pounded on my head, and I knew there was one more thing. I had to take my hearing aids out and place them outside of the shower. It was just one more thing.

I was up this morning ready to have a nice cup of hot tea in my special tea mug. The hot water unit worked fine, the tea was available, but where was my mug? It was downstairs on the table, something I never do. Last night, I forgot to take it to its place in the kitchen. It was just one more thing.

My car always is ready with plenty of gas and always parked in the same place. But then my grandson looked at the dashboard and said, “Your tires need air, not just one tire but all of them.” It was one more thing.

I was ready to go shopping with my wife. We agreed on a time, I had my coat on with my keys, money and cell phone. I started walking toward the back door where the car is located and then it dawned on me that I forgot to lock the front door. It was one more thing.

It is always one more thing. I can’t explain it, but there always seems to be one more thing that must be done and cannot wait. After several phone calls, I forgot to call my sister. After the shopping list, there is one more thing that has to be added. There is always one more bill that must be paid. There is everything packed for an airplane trip and plenty of time for the airport, and you are ready to get into the car until you remember – you forgot my glasses – it’s just one more thing.

At the airport, I know my pocketknife will not go through security, so it is packed in the suitcase that will be checked. But at the Atlanta Symphony, they now have a security device, and we were on time with tickets, but I forgot that I had the knife in my pocket. I had to hide it outside. It was one more thing before enjoying the concert.

Life is always about taking care of one more thing. It’s often a little thing, because the big things are clear and important, but those little things are easy to forget and often need to be done at the last moment. You’re ready to go and didn’t have the address handy. You have all the ingredients for a nice meal and forgot to buy the fresh spice for the chicken. You’re ready to print the document on the printer, but there is no paper, or you printed the document, and it should have been printed landscape instead of portrait. You have to print the document again. You walked out the front door, ready to leave, but the wallet with money and a credit card are nowhere to be found. This is how life goes on. There is always one thing, it is always one more thing. It is what life is about.

Why can’t life just fall into place? Why can’t all of the pieces be just where you want them when you want them? Why doesn’t life fit together just as it should? Why is life so complicated? Why must it always be one more thing? The reason is obvious. It makes life more interesting, so enjoy it. It is made for great story telling.