Two Tall Women

So yesterday D1 woke up after a rough night -- nothing too serious, but her loving man Joey doesn't like to leave her alone when she's unwell. Within the hour. Joey's Mom Jackie, on her way to her business, had dropped off chicken soup and potatoes, and fresh fruit. She offered to stay with D1.

Wifey was sleeping in, but upon waking, also sprung into action -- driving to Shorecrest to spend the day with sleeping D1. D1 hates being alone when she's sick -- directly opposite to D2 and me -- we both prefer to be left alone --figuring we'll either die or get better, and want to be alone to do either.

We make a lot of fun of Wifey and the fact that she doesn't work, or cook, or do many domestic things, but when her family needs her, she is the best. She drops everything to literally run or fly to the Ds -- whether it's to help D1 with the spoiled Spaniel, or D2 moving into and organizing a new apartment. And through the fun making, the Ds love her dearly, and know they can depend on her, no matter what.

D1 has a friend who married a rich guy, and HIS mother lives closeby and can rarely be bothered to help babysit, or do other mother in law duties.  She jokes, (the older woman) that she gives great phone -- in other words, she will always answer questions and direct others by phone, but don't ask her to show up.

That's too bad. Love is action; not words.

Today is Jackie's birthday, and I posted the video of James Taylor's "Shower the People With Love" video on FaceBook (tm) in tribute to her. Jackie is an amazingly loving and giving woman. Her three sons adore her, as do D1 and her other daughter in law Vera. The youngest boy, Alan, is single, and someday his wife will luck out, too, in the suegra department.

Jackie  had us over for first seder, and it wasn't an obligatory sort of thing -- every guest in their house was made to feel like family.

I tell D1, and she already knows, that she won the suegra lotto. Jackie adores her -- as much as she does her sons.  And Wifey is in that number, too.

Anyone who knows me knows my Ds are sacred to me. And by extension, those who love and treat them well become sacred, too.

It's sadly rare to find that these days. People live selfishly in their own snow globes -- they might say they care about families, but truly, when it comes crunch time, don't.

I'm a lucky guy, in life, and my luck increased exponentially when both Ds chose their men. D2's suegros David and Lizbeth adore their kids, too, and fly to California and Toronto to visit them, and be there in support.

So today, I wish a very healthy and happy birthday to an amazing Colombian Jewish woman who is our family. May she PASS 120, and continue to do what she does better than anyone: shower the people she loves with love, and show them the way she feels...