Thoughts on the Ballet "Coppelia"

As per Ms. F's suggestion, I went to see "Coppelia" on Motzei Shabbat. It was amazing in many respects--the dancing, the costumes, scenery, music, acting. The second act really impact me. In this act, a toymaker tries to make his toys come alive by "drawing the life" out of a young boy who attempted to sneak into his workship, and uses the boys life-force it to animate a doll. The "doll" (a dancer who does a fantastic job of playing dead) slowly comes to life, little by little. She picks her head up, then it drops down again. She picks it up again. Then she straightens her arms, etc. You see the whole process, until she is dancing around using her entire body and range of motion. While I was watching it, it struck me that this scene depicts exactly what God does for us every morning. He "brings us to life" and is the one responsible for every single part of us working in the complex and amazing way that it's supposed to. Watching this scene refreshed my appreciation of God's role in my daily physical functioning, and re-inspired me to take modeh ani, asher yatzar, elokei neshama, and birchot hashachar more seriously. This trip to the ballet also reminded me that we can gain something from every experience that we have in our lives, even when we enter into that experiences for the sole purpose of taking a break/having a vacation!