Beshert

“Though the term beshert can refer to any fortuitous event (“I missed the bus, but it must have been beshert, because I heard it broke down”), it is most often used to mean a soulmate: the one person whom an individual is divinely destined to marry.”
(from MOMENT)

Now going on approximately two months of #SocialDistancing and #StayAtHome, I think it’s remarkable that my husband and I (and our two cats) have actually had many peaceful and relaxing days TOGETHER. Of course there’s a bit of craziness over not being able to see our four kids (two raised by us and their mates) and especially knowing they are each on the Front-Lines of this COVID-19 pandemic. But Mark and I are finding after nearly 45-years of marriage that we are enjoying each other’s company, and, as I often quip to friends (on the phone or social media!) “We haven’t killed each other yet!”

We’ve found lots to talk about, share our concerns about our children’s safety and how much we miss them, enjoy laughing together at so many of the Facebook memes we come across, and have MANY date nights together finding movies on NetFlix or watching our favorite TV shows together. About 46-years ago when we had our first date I never imagined a life so filled with love and companionship… truthfully the first time he invited me out I honestly thought he was joking (Truth!) or I don’t think I would have actually said yes. But wow am I glad I did. Surprisingly, especially to me, we were engaged just a mere 14-days later.

Looking back on it I really believe that we were destined to spend our lives together. As we got to really know each other we found out so many ways that our lives intertwined long before we went out on our first date. Even now, so many years later I am still finding out the many ways we could have met, or at least gotten a chance to know each other. Just to mention a few of the ironies of our lives:

·       We went to the same High School, he was a year ahead of me. Yes I do remember one encounter in the school hallway when he was a school monitor and he ATTEMPTED to stop me from going to the auditorium (I was a Theatre Arts student) between class-periods. Shamefully I admit hitting him and running.

·       The high school was a specialized art school and we had nine scheduled periods a day plus home room where attendance was taken. My home room was with my very (also Mark’s) favorite teacher, Mr. Tatti taught sculpture. I will never forget the sculpted APE that sat in the front of the classroom, it wound up right in front of me. I remember thinking to myself who the heck would call himself an ape after I saw the engraved letters M E on the butt cheeks of this figure. I later found out that it was a class project created by none other than my husband to be and those were his initials!

·       Although we were both living in the Bronx (NYC) at the time, we traveled different train routes to and from our Manhattan based school. Among the regulars I traveled with was a classmate of his (Photography students). I didn’t know until long after our graduation that they even knew each other.

·       When I was a very little girl my Dad and two other friends founded a sports club and I often accompanied my Father to get togethers especially during my teen years. Mark worked for a fellow who at one time frequented this club and occasionally invited Mark to go with him. I don’t think we ever met up at this club.

·       And while there were so many other little things we had in common, the most ironic of all was, when I was gathering our papers for our marriage license, I noticed on our birth certificates, that we were born in the same hospital and delivered by the same doctor. Ironic because NYC is huge and Mark’s parents didn’t even live in the Bronx when he was born!

Mark and I finally REALLY MET a few years after we both graduated high school and pursued different interests. My parents encouraged my sister and me to give back to the community, and I joined the NYC Auxiliary Police at our local precinct; Mark eventually joined the same unit.

I really believe that we were destined to be in each other’s lives, Bershert! And I have to say, there is no one I would rather be Staying at Home with.

I hope that you are all staying safe and healthy and taking all of the precautions to remain healthy.

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The Fairy Tale of Love - #MondayBlogs

Long, long ago in the magical realm known as NYC, lucky young knights and maidens were given the privilege of study at the hallowed halls called A&D where they learned the creative arts… and jousting. It was there that the princess first encountered the prince. She was a fair Theatre Arts student and as was wont in the hallowed halls, the students of Theatre Arts oft lived by their own rules. It was an accepted practice and most monitors of those hallowed halls did tend to look the other way, except for one knight, a prince in disguise, who was most fastidious about the rules. The magic began the day he barred the maiden from joining her stage crew because the sacred bell had not been rung. The maiden had been tutored in the art of sparring by her father, a grand king, and in anger she punched the young knight and raced to the safety of her crew.

Aside from a few rare glimpses in those hallowed halls, the prince and princess had no more encounters for several years, long past their individual assignments at the great castle known as A&D. Several autumns later, perhaps six or so, they chanced again to meet in the massive shelter of the local constabulary — neither was in trouble but they were both duty-bound to serve their communities in the practice of Auxiliary Police. The princess’ father, the grand king, did preside over their unit and looked on this couple with great favor. Together and in spite of their protest, the two did patrol the kingdom on many eves. And so finally at one assignment, a Memorial Day parade detail, the two did chance to speak in a polite way, and before they retreated to their respective castles, the prince did request the fair princess to join him for dinner. Thinking that perchance he was merely being jovial, she did accept; realizing the error she had made, she felt honor bound to accompany him as promised.

They did dine on succulent East Indian dishes, a first for her, and afterwards enjoyed a stage show at Ye Olde Playboy Club and it was indeed a merry night. The one evening was soon followed by two more, nay, four more enjoyable adventures. And after the fourth venture, merely 14 suns and moons later, the young prince refused to return the princess to her castle before eliciting a promise to wed. The princess protested most profusely. She was indeed smitten by his charm but wary of wedlock. It was only when he promised her safe passage to her home in exchange for her acceptance that she did utter the words YES. In truth she had hoped her father, the grand king, would challenge the prince to a duel — to her surprise the king had been hoping for such a union between the kingdoms and truly believed that the prince would make the princess very happy. Still protesting, the princess did begin to love the prince and yearned to become his queen and he her king. Such a match was made on the 28^th of December in the year 1975.

Forty years later to the day, the new king and queen still sit side-by-side on their thrones in a grand castle they managed to conquer in the realm called Hudson Valley. Together they raised a royal princess and prince and watched with love as their offspring enjoyed adventures and fairy tales of their own; the new generation of royals have found their own true loves and are now kings and queens of their own monarchs The vast rooms of their castle have seen many laughs and loving gestures through the seasons as well as the pitter patter of many mythical felines.

And the fairy tale continues…