I have this amazing slideshow going on my laptop – it’s got a bunch of family pictures – from various weddings, bar mitzvah celebrations – from infancy in some cases, to marriage and motherhood in one case. One of the pictures…is…well…this one…
And another that seems to have been taken just a bit later…
A little before Elie’s wedding, Chaim and Yaakov surprised me with the wonderful news that Yaakov was going to be flying in to surprise Elie. I was to keep it a secret – and I’m really lousy at that.
So, each time I was just itching to tell Elie or Lauren, I told someone else quietly. At one point, knowing I couldn’t tell Aliza, I still wanted to make sure she remembered Yaakov. Right after he finished his army service, he flew back to America to ask Shoshana to marry him. They’ve got two GORGEOUS little girls now.
Aliza was about 7 when Yaakov went back to the States – she’d seen him only once in the years that followed. “You remember Yaakov?” I asked her one day. I thought – if she doesn’t – I’d have to start reminding her or Yaakov would be so hurt.
Well, Aliza looked at me like I had somehow lost some brain cells, “Of course I remember Yaakov, he’s my brother!” she said with all the exasperation only a 7 year old can express.
Well, I’ve learned my lesson – I won’t ask her again – but then again, he was just here a bit over a year ago. We saw him some…but he was also very busy. In addition to the wonderful times he spent at the wedding and with us, he also spent time checking out places in Israel.
And the amazing news is…he’s moving back home to Israel this summer with his family.
A HUGE mazal tov. There can be no better news than literal shavu banim l’gvulam. I guess that makes you eim habanim s’maiha. 😉