To Those Who Celebrate

So yesterday was a pretty good one, in this time of the plague, and we enjoyed it. But then I got annoyed on FaceBook, again, for a cutesy disclaimer many people post. I have been cooped up too long.

Wifey and I had no seder plans, but Joey changed that -- be ready for a Google Hangout for a virtual get together. We actually left the house -- for 2 errands.

First -- Wifey switched her pharmacy, at my urging, from Publix to Walgreens. To use Publix, she'd have to, well, visit Publix, and not something we want to do these days. I switched to Walgreens delivery -- they were terrific -- but you need at least one "live" pickup before they start delivering -- I guess to avoid you becoming a pill mill or something. So we drove to a Walgreens on 132 Street, and saw a green Jaguar with a black lady parked a bit back from the drive through. Wifey joked social distancing in cars. There was one car being serviced, so I drove behind the Jag and waited. And waited. We decided to leave and come back, and I realized the car at the drive through had left -- the idiot in the Jag had just parked in such a way that it looked like she was waiting for service -- and she wasn't. I felt a tad of road rage, but let it pass -- we took our place, and Walgreens got it done properly.

From there we went to LOL for the food pickup. It's funny -- I was there about 10 days ago, and ran into Richard, Norman's brother. Sure enough -- there he was again -- fetching Seder supplies.

Wifey  waited her turn, and fetched our stuff. And then, at 4, I had an actual human visitor.

Kenny drove up, parked his car, and joined me for a long walk -- 4 miles or so. We caught up on his job at Baptist -- and his hope he and Joelle make it to their beautiful lake house in Maine by June. I hope they do, too -- it's gorgeous there, and truly the place they love the most. Meanwhile, their youngest is set to graduate from college soon. Kenny joked that somehow there was no refund of the huge tuition, even though the last classes were online, like the University of Phoenix, instead of a prestigious Liberal Arts college.

Kenny left, and I came in dripping with the sweat of a long walk in now hot and humid Miami. I showered, and then Joey texted -- we would gather earlier. So we put out the matzho, a couple of wine glasses -- Wifey's with water, mine with vodka and tonic, and Wifey got the matzo ball soup heating on the stove. We were ready.

I downloaded a Google App, which had the hagada Joey had written several years ago in honor of his late, namesake abuelo, and we saw Joey's parents, and D1, and Joey, and, later, D2 and Jonathan. Joey's older brother and sister in law made an appearance, too, and we all read our part, and prayed for actually being together next year. It was moving. It was joyous. And it was Part I.

Later on, D2 and Jonathan sent a link -- to join Jonathan's family seder on Zoom. It was his parents and young sister in Aventura, his sister and brother in law north of Toronto, another sister and brother in law in Riverdale, in the Bronx, and his brother and sister in law in Kansas City. Later, his uncle and wonderful grandmother Judy joined from their place in Sunny Isles, as did the oldest brother and his family in Kendall. We were part of a large, wonderful group.

They chatted. We laughed. There were blessings over the cups of wine. I was a little buzzed, and got a text from D2 -- I might be talking a bit too much. So I shut up and just took part in their wonderful get together -- it spanned hours. Dogs were featured, from 2 separate countries.

Finally, around 10, I was falling asleep, and  sort of slipped off the group. It was, by far, the most memorable seder of all time for us.

And then I checked FaceBook, and there were the greetings, including some with the annoying "To those who celebrate." It got my gourd. I never mind, and in fact enjoy, being wished Merry Christmas and Happy Easter. It shows the speaker cares, and wishes you to have the good spirit, too.

As I said -- I guess the crankiness is rising a bit. But I vented that pet peeve.

One thing I miss, though, about seders past. Joey's family has an adorable tradition, started by his grandfather. After the special matzo, the akikommen, is found, he would cut it into small pieces -- maybe 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch, and wrap it tightly in paper -- to be given as a good luck charm to each of the seder attendees.  I kept mine in my wallet for the past 2 years -- and you get a replacement each Passover. My 2019 model will have to get some more use...

So -- Passover continues. And Sunday is Easter. I'll post greetings for that holiday, as well as the start of Ramadan, which comes a bit later, but only to those who celebrate.