Getting Ready for Yom Kippur

Today is a busy day for people in the Jewish world. Tonight begins Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In my imagination, getting ready for Yom Kippur brings to mind all sorts of spiritual readiness. There IS plenty of spiritual preparation, but today, I'm going to discuss the other side of the coin. Physical preparation, I suppose we can call it. Here is a general list of what I need to accomplish today.

1. Stay Hydrated Before the Fast. When you get yourself ready for a fast, first of all, you want to make sure you're hydrated. So I need to drink lots of water today!
2. Prepare Food for the Children. I have children who will not be fasting during Yom Kippur. This means I should have meals at the ready for them so I don't have to mess with food. I remember one year I failed to prepare for the break-fast before the day of Yom Kippur, so I boiled some pasta. To test its doneness, I tasted it. Oops. That wasn't in the plan. So to avoid licking peanut butter off the knife when I make my kids some sandwiches, I should do so before I start fasting.
   
3. Prepare for my part in the break-fast potluck. I'm bringing Challah and orange juice. The challah needs to be done baking before I pick up the kids from school on Friday, for my own sanity!
4. Jonah DVD. I'm bringing the Jonah DVD for the children all to watch during the sermon.
5. Activities for my children, especially my 5 year old. It's a long day at synagogue. They'll need something to keep them busy.
6. Medicines, as needed. If we're not going to be home, I need to have any meds I'll need for the day.

Sometimes I feel that in the doing of things to prepare for a Jewish Holiday, you can miss the point of the day. On the other hand, the physical acts done to prepare can also enhance the spiritual experience of the day. If I'm prepared now for tomorrow, tomorrow should run smoother. May those of us who fast tomorrow have an easy fast!