26 Years Ago Today

Posted by JewishMom on Mar 27, 2022 in Current Events, Jewish Moms, Motherhood, My life | 6 comments

On Shabbat, my daughter asked me an interesting question.
“Eema, if you could go back in time and have all your children without going through pregnancy and birth, would you?”
My family was taken aback by how quickly and unhesitatingly I answered “Yes!”
“But do you think, after the fact, it was worth going through all those pregnancies and births?” a knowing smile pulling on her lips.
“Well, I mean…” and then gestured around the Shabbat table speechless, in awe, looking at my children, “of course!”

I got married 26 years ago today. Josh and I were so young, 24 and 25. In the middle of our wedding, we realized that neither of us had organized a ride home from the hall. So in the middle of dancing, I leaned over to a family friend from Josh’s hometown and asked if she had any room left in her car. So we drove home, 4 of us squished in the back seat belting out “Od Yishama” the whole ride from Mt. Scopus to Nachlaot.
Josh and I have shared countless memories, every important event, good and not so, over the last 26 years he has been by my side.
With that said, marriage is not easy. It is not easy living in close quarters with another human being (even one as wonderful as my husband). Because since it is impossible to marry yourself, your spouse is essentially different than you. He has a different family background, a different personality, different coping mechanisms, different (as we Weisbergs call them) “Meshuga Points,” the personal quirks that on a good day we can find absolutely endearing and and on a bad day completely infuriating!
“But do you think, after the fact, it was worth going through the downs as well as the ups of the past 26 years of marriage?” I ask myself today with a knowing smile.
“Well, I mean…” and then look around my life speechless, in awe–at the person I am today–thanks to him, at the children we have, at the home we’ve built, and I can’t even get out the words “of course!” since my throat is choked with tears of overwhelming gratitude for the man at my side, and I at his.