Marathon Mazal Tov

Marathon Mazal Tov

This Friday is the Jerusalem Marathon. And every year, around this time, I remember my old, dear marathon-running neighbors.

David and Gavriella, a department head at Hadassah and a nurse, moved in right next door to us after they got married around 5 years ago.

To tell you the truth, when they first moved in, I was simply thrilled to have 2 medical professionals right next door…in case a 2-year-old’s fever spiked at midnight or a 4-year-old had some itchy dots on Shabbat–were those chickenpox?

But over the 3 years we shared a wall, my husband and I developed a genuine and deep fondness for our lovely new neighbors…

At times, when the Weisberg 8-kid chaos was brimming over, I couldn’t help but contemplate the polar-difference between my home and the one on the other side of that (thankfully very thick) wall…

Their home designed with careful attention to detail, nothing out of place, like a pearl, like a home in the pages of a magazine.

The peace and quiet ruffled only, ever-so-slightly, by the clinking of wine glasses before a gourmet meal prepared by Gavriella.

They were often away– enjoying the good life: wine-tasting, fine restaurants, trips abroad.

And, of course, training many hours a week for the annual Jerusalem Marathon.

Every year, when they were out running the marathon, my kids would prepare a sign for their door that read, “TO OUR CHAMPION NEIGHBORS! Congratulations on finishing the marathon!”

After we moved away 2 years ago, sadly, we lost touch with David and Gavriella.

But then, this past Saturday night, I was surprised to see Gavriella’s name on my cellphone screen.

“Hello? Gavriella? How are you?! Are you still living in the same place?”

“We are doing very well! Yes, we are still in the same place. But I wanted to tell you the news that there are no longer 2 of us, there are 3!”

I yelled with glee, so loud that all of my kids turned their heads: “Eema, what happened?”

The next morning, after performing the bris on their new baby, Meir, the mohel joked: “Don’t worry, David and Gavriella, that was the hard part of having a baby. Now’s the easy part–raising him!”

At which I point I leaned over to Gavriella and whispered, “This is the true marathon, Gavriella. We are so incredibly thrilled for you.”

One comment

  1. love this!

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