Sunday, September 2, 2018

My Friend El

Back in 1981, my friend Ellen was Norman's running friend. They would run through the streets and parks of Brooklyn. This they did because they felt like it and not because someone was chasing them. Amazing how much torture you could put a body through back in 1981. Ellen started off as Norman's friend.

Back in 1981, Ellen also started off as my friend. We were package designers for Knickerbocker Toy Company in New Jersey. Ellen had a desk and a drafting table covered with stuffed animals and the most amazing drawings she did for the toy packages. She is such a talented artist. On the bulletin board above Ellen's head was a picture of her nephew, Sethy.

I had a desk, a drafting table and a bulletin board on the other side of the room. My desk was also filled with toys and drawings for toy packages. On the bulletin board above my head was a picture of my nephew, Adam. We had much in common back in 1981. We were both artists and we both had nephews. We got to play with toys all day long and we talked with such pride about our cute baby nephews. It was never a bad day of work, sharing a room with my friend Ellen.

My friend Ellen used to tell me that I should meet her other friend, Norman. I put her off so many times that she finally planned a way for us to meet without telling me. Ellen and I went into the city as young, single girls would do back in the early 1980's (not us) and we went to a bar in Soho (really not us). I believe it was called 354 but with my ancient, faulty memory, I'm sure that name is wrong and I will be corrected. Anyway, there we met Norman and his other friend, Bruce. Norman and I hit it off and the rest, as they say, is 35 years of history.

Ellen is a twin. She used to tell me that she and her twin sister, Sheryl, were mirror image twins. That meant Ellen was a lefty and Sheryl was a righty. How cool is that? They were not both artists, so I suppose my friend Ellen was the lucky one and got her talent from the left side of her body. But they both learned how to clean a house like no other, so in that they were identical. Sheryl was not only Ellen's twin, she was the wife of Norman's best friend, David, and the mother of Sethy, Norman's godson. Complicated, I know, but in Jewish geography, every Jew is connected in some way to another Jew somewhere. Especially if you came from Brooklyn.

Back in 1981, all was perfect in the world. Seth was born into a world with love. He not only had the most amazing parents but a godfather who doted on him and an aunt who thought he was the most adorable baby ever. He still is adorable. 

Eight days ago, Seth became a dad. Spencer Grey Rubin is named for his grandma, Sheryl, and that little boy will always carry her spirit with him. Spencer and his slightly older cousin, Sonny, could not ask for a better Angel to look out for them, to keep them safe and loved. His grandma's spirit also stays very much alive and with us in the arms of his great-aunt El. With Sonny and Spencer, Aunt Ellen now gets to hang a bunch of new pictures on her bulletin board. I can't think of sweeter or more loving arms to hold this new generation of Waldman babies. 

And I can't wait to celebrate the birth of Spencer Grey Rubin with my friend El today.




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