Sunday, January 07, 2007

BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE...

I don't know about you, but I have always found it difficult saying 'goodbye'. I noticed it for the first time when I was Sixteen. My friend, Rozzie and her mother and sisters were moving from Windsor to California. Her Dad had passed away and her mom felt she needed a change.

I hated it. See, way back then, in the Dark Ages of the fifties, we didn't have internet...skype...email...cheap phone rates. We had snail mail and Ma Bell. And no one made a long distance call unless it was an emergency. Yes, my friends, although I don't remember the Pony Express, I am really that old.

Then nine years later I did my own version of Tevya at the train station. You remember that scene where his daughter is off to Siberia to join her love who was banished there? And they are standing at that little stop never knowing if or when they would ever see each other again? Of course you remember...how could anyone forget? Not a dry eye in the audience.

Where was I? Oh, yes, Anatevka...I mean Windsor. When I decided to move to Israel it was only for one year. My Dad AH took me to the airport. Bubbie Channah stayed home. She never ever went to the goodbye airport...only the hello one. So, I had said my goodbyes to my mother and we drove to the airport in Detroit. The trip took an hour. I had a headache. For a month I had a headache. And then it was time. We hugged and kissed and cried and said goodbye. My two girlfriends and I were off to Israel. (funny how once I was on the plane my headaches disappeared.)

No one had any money. Overseas phone calls were a fortune. And besides, in 1970 you just couldn't pick up the phone and make a phone call to America. We had to go to the Central Post Office on Jaffa Road near the Old City and book a time...usually at two in the morning, oy, and stand in line waiting for our turn.

Then one day we met C. at the beach in Tel Aviv. Hot. Humid. Sitting on the sand everyone talked to their neighbour, just like they still do on the busses. C. spoke a little English and was so happy to practice with us. We asked her to please watch our stuff while we ran into the water to cool off and we before we left that day we had become friends.

What we didn't know was that C. worked for the phone company. And not just the phone company...but for the long distance part of the phone company. One night in the middle of the night our phone rang. We jumped up and a familiar voice said, "Marallyn, your long distance call is ready." My heart started klapping and within a couple of seconds my mom and dad were on the line.

Once a month or so, we would get a phone call like that. And whoever's mom was on the line, after she hung up she would call the other moms.

Wadda life!

Yesterday, my brother Dovidle left to go back to Boulder.

You know how sometimes things are simply bashert (meant to be)? The first blizzard in Denver/Boulder that left them with three feet of snow happened just days before he was to fly to Israel, leaving him stranded for a couple of nights at his office. Then a window of clear skies and the airports opened and he was able to fly out. Then the snow started again leaving another couple of feet of snow. And a minor earthquake (never happens in Colorado). So even if his clients had wanted to keep their appointments they couldn't have gotten to his office. Yahooooo. But the avalanche on the highway yesterday was a bit too much already.

Since he had such a long stopover, he got a room at the airport for the night and will be flying home shortly, and should be arriving tfu tfu tfu in about twelve hours or so.

So we had to say goodbye. But my brother Dovidle always has to have a plan. Wanna hear ours? OK. When he gets back he's going to tell us how the trip was after breaking it up by spending the night in Europe. That way, maybe this summer, if we have the money and if we can, then I'll take Bubbie Channah and we'll go to the states for a visit.

Up until now I didn't think I could go because I didn't want to leave Ma for too long on her own. She's a pip but still 83 is 83 bli ayin ha rah ( that's Hebrew for tfu tfu tfu). And I didn't think that shlepping her on a long overseas flight was smart either.

Maybe now we will hop a plane, grab a room, and go visit America for a bit. Ahhhh, the stuff that dreams are made of.

So, with that thought in mind it wasn't so terribly awful saying goodbye this time. And besides, I have internet...email...skype...and cheap phone rates.

Wadda world!!!

Last night I slept in my own bed and was happy to be home. And last night I fell asleep full of ten days of bonding and healing with my mom and brother. Wadda gift!!! Thank you, God!

Thanks for being patient with me and I hope to get back to writing my blog every day again now. I missed you too.

Shavuha tov...a good week.

Have a great day...stay safe...and thanks for dropping in.

18 Comments:

At 1:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you didn't want to reveal your age, you rather gave it away there.
Welcome back home - Miriam.

 
At 4:32 PM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

shalom miriam...my age i will share...i earned every grey hair...now my weight...that's another subject all together...thanks for dropping in my dear friend...stay safe and shavuah tov

 
At 6:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't want you to feel the least bit guilty, but, in 1970, you left me with a thirty-three year old, a four year old, a two year old, and a huge void in my life.

And, because your Israeli telephone friend didn't include me in the freebies, I only got snail-mail. Talk about lingering headaches.

I still think the three of you could have forged wonderful lives for yourselves in New York ! What WERE you thinking ???

The Gov.

 
At 6:31 PM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

dear guv...NOW you tell me??? as my youngest says...'imma when God said GO WEST YOUNG MAN he meant California'...ahhhhhhh thank goodness for email...cheap phone rates...skype...etc etc etc...and let us not forget the pixiepit...yahooooo...shavuah tov...have missed you here...stay safe...nishikot

 
At 10:11 PM, Blogger cheated are the clouds said...

I also hate goodbyes, I cannot even watch m the last episode of my favorite tv shows when they go off air, I was glad to hear you have skype as I do to maybe we could meet up some time on there and chat for a while nice to hear your back home in your own bed

 
At 2:29 AM, Blogger Val said...

Such a great post... glad the visit went well, there's a 'rainbow' to look forward to in the future and I'm gonna give you a tip!
I have used Skype... very good. But there's something better, as it uses real phones versus the computer (though you still initiate the calls from the computer!) - check it out: http://www.jajah.com/ JAJAH... it's COMPLETELY as long as the caling and receiving parties are registered. Limitation is that you can only use it for an hour a day, but it's GREAT!

 
At 9:16 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your brother David, is a brilliant man!! Where there is a will, there is a way. How considerate of him to go before you and plan your course so you and Bubbie Channah can come for a visit. He is heading home at just the right time because another storm is predicted to be on it's way. I agree, the avalanche was a bit freaky! Can you even imagine what those people went through as they were being pushed over the cliff?
What is it you say? ftu,ftu,ftu!!!Pretty Scary stuff.
I will be soooooo excited for you to come to the U.S. this summer. Maybe, just maybe this time, I'll get to see you!!
Stay safe my friend. Good to have you back online and sharing your wonderful experiences with us.
Hugs,

 
At 4:03 PM, Blogger Mama Wombat said...

Marallyn, with your positive attitue you can deal with anything!
Whenever I lose my mind on long plane trips I tell myself, at least I don't have to be in a boat for 3 months to make the same trip.

 
At 2:49 AM, Blogger Leann said...

I hate to say goodby to.but in my life the older I get the more goodbys I have.some for a long time, some for a while.glad you had your time with your family.its good to be able to bond.wish all was well in my family so it would just be like it use to be.but it wont be like that again with mom gone and step Dad gone.and the family slip up.but guess Im not supose to let that bother me.just grin and bear it and to heck with caring.but I cant do that.but cant do nothing else.Oh well life goes on.Shalom friend glad your back.thanks for your kind words.you must be close to my age. because of some of the things you were telling about.God bless.

 
At 3:09 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"bashert"

I think I said that once and my mom washed my mouth out with soap. :o)

Sounds like great memories . . . and what a great plan for the future!

Hope all continues to be well. Be safe.

 
At 9:27 AM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

shalom cheated...i am marallyn on skype and would love to chat with you...what a great idea...stay safe my friend and thanks for dropping in

 
At 9:28 AM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

thanks val i'll try that...hope all is well with you and yours...always a joy to hear from you...stay safe and thanks so much for dropping in

 
At 9:30 AM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

shalom chavah...i'll let you know if and when we are going to cross the big water...still looking forward to meeting you in person...now wouldn't that be something??? ahhh the things that dreams are made of

 
At 9:31 AM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

hiiiiiiii kishkashta...my doctor once told me that his wife said the most wonderful feeling in the world is the feeling of her tush as it sinks into the seat of a jumbo jet...lolol..ahhhhhhhhhh...thanks for dropping in my friend

 
At 9:33 AM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

hi leann...always good to hear from you...i love your strenght and optimism...good for you...stay safe and talk to you soon

 
At 9:34 AM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

ah tim you are bad lolol...lovely to laugh first thing in the morning...thanks...stay safe my friend and let me know when you come back for your next visit...the pecan pie and coffee are on me :)))

 
At 9:33 AM, Blogger Jack Steiner said...

I can empathize. I wrote a similar post about this in July '05.

 
At 1:40 PM, Blogger marallyn ben moshe said...

thanks jack...always great to visit your blog and always happy to see you here on mine...shabbat shalom...stay safe

 

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