Mixed Holiday Message

Well here's an ironic turn of events.

Last night I called up my Southern Baptist grandmother to wish her Merry XMas. She and my uncles and cousins were all gathered there together. They had a quart sized jar filled with coins from my Uncle and Aunt's house. (The same Uncle and Aunt who at least used to be pretty sure my mother was going to hell for converting to Judaism. Incidentally, I happen to love them all dearly.)

My grandmother told me everyone was guessing how much money was in the jar and whoever got the right answer got the jar. Everyone was allowed 3 guesses. Just for fun I made a single guess of $55.

It was $55.47. She called me up tonight, on the first night of Channukah, singing "We Wish You A Merry XMas."

I told her I felt I was crashing their party to get the jar when I wasn't even there, but she assured me that everyone there wants me to have it.

Well, not the jar itself. I guess I'll get a check. :)

So what's up with this one, Hashem? Proud of me for calling my grandmother? 10% to tzedakah, if not more, I promise. (And by the way, with tzedakah, saying you plan to give it counts as an authentic and binding vow. I have to give the money away as soon as it arrives. I wonder where it should go.)