Standing on the Corner

It's the final weekend of the first phase of our lives. On Tuesday, I take D2 to college, and the following Monday, we move D1 to her first grown up apartment. Oy...

On Thursday, we went to Miami Beach to meet D1's boyfriend's dad and siblings. Dr. Tom treated us to a great meal at an Italian place at the Fountainbleau. As expected, he was a terrific guy.

He's a cardiologist, but you'd never know just by meeting him. Many docs are so wrapped up in that identity, they blanket you with tales of their careers upon meeting you. Not Tom --he wanted to talk about growing up, and life, and travel, and books. He has interesting background --his father was a very succesful clothier in NY, and Tom grew up in Jersey and finished college in Philly.

He recently married Sheila, a lovely insurance executive. Tom's 2 younger kids and another boyfriend were in tow, and we all got along splendidly. They're coming over this am for bagels and coffee, before they head back to Jacksonville and a resumption of their regular lives...

Wifey and I have begun the post-child changes. We're turning D1's room into a library, and yesterday the guy from the floor company was here to finalize the deal for the planks we bought. D1 is annoyed that we're rushing to do these things, even before "her body is cold," but it's our way of dealing with the sense of loss we know is going to come when the house is truly quiet. I mean --as long as a house is quiet, might as well have a library --right?

On Thursday afternoon, Paul and I had a glatt kosher sushi lunch with our rabbi friend, Yossi. I realized that the Rabbi DOES have a great sense of human nature beyond his 40 years, and that's why I value his company. But I just can't stomach the religion thing. I wish I could. I try, I really do, but, as Dylan sang, it ain't me babe.

Although --Yossi would tell us these things are out of our control. Here's D1, seriously dating a non Jewish guy (well --as his Dad reminded us, he's 1/8 Jewish), and she tells us she's looking into joining Beth David congregation over on Coral Way.

My good friend Norman's family are Beth David MACHERS! I attended Norman's wedding in that old shul during law school.

Beth David and my family have had a distant but warm relationship. When my in laws moved to Miami in 1960, the Beth David preschool took in a 4 year old Israeli refugee --Wifey. 32 years later, after Hurricane Andrew "mistroyed" our house, as 3 year old D1 said at the time, we moved to Brickell during the rebuilding. We moved too far from D1's preschool, the South Dade JCC, and Beth David's school took in ANOTHER little refugee girl --D1 --this time a storm refugee.

So now, D1 wants to join the place. Maybe mysterious forces beyond my ken ARE afoot. Maybe Rabbi Yossi is on to something after all.

Oh well, in the meantime, I'm off to buy the bagels and nova from my friendly Palestinian bagel guy --he slices the salmon like Michael deBakey used to slice heart tissue...

And I plan to savor this final weekend with both Ds under one roof, and their fine boyfriends visiting.

Change is in the air...