There are those who believe that to properly pray to one’s god, one needs to don a type of belt, a gartel. Interestingly, the word comes from the same root as girdle.
A purpose of the gartel is to separate the spiritual from the animal …
One needs to gird oneself with a girdle at the time of prayer; even if one wears a sash, such that one’s heart does not “see” one’s nakedness, because of concentration. ~Shulchan Arukh, O.C. 91.2
I have been wearing my chemotherapy pump 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It has been almost 6 weeks (28 workdays) and tomorrow is the last day. As I have shown, during the day it is in a pouch on my belt. During the night I wear it on my stomach. I could put it on the nightstand but I often get up in the middle of the night for Pearlsky and I know I would not think that I am attached to it. It so happens that I never sleep on my stomach, hence the solution I use.
Tomorrow is my last radiation treatment and the last day for this round of chemotherapy. I will no longer be receiving chemo by pump, but most likely will have four months of chemo after surgery in September.
So tonight is the last night separating my animal from my spiritual.
It will not be the last night with prayers.
It may seem like a long way to go, but look at how much less is left now! You have made it through the first HUGE hurdle (or perhaps, girdle) with a good amount of discomfort, but more humor than most can muster up. Congratulations. You know our prayers are with you. NM