This story is dedicated in memory of my father, who valued the Sabbath very much and always made sure that we greeted the Sabbath on time every week before sunset on Friday. It is a heartwarming account of how our family would get ready for the Shabbat starting on Friday,
In our house, when we were little, we would get out of school early on Fridays, Erev Shabbat, in order to get ready for the Sabbath. As soon as we got home, we could smell Ima's delicious challah, chicken soup and potato kugel. Abba would be in the den reviewing the Torah portion he would recite in synagogue the next day and the rest of us all pitched in with the chores.
All the while we counted down the time to candle lighting.