I am the gregarious one. My husband, John is the quiet one. He is happy, or at least content, to be alone. We were married during the Covid-19 pandemic, so we are still newlyweds. John likes Friday nights. Every week he buys a fresh Challah, because, he says, you can’t make Kiddush otherwise. This is how he was brought up and this is what makes him comfortable and happy. I enjoy the traditions. No one else is invited and that is fine. He calms me down. He is a balm to my Energizer Bunny personality; just what I need to keep my blood pressure down. The rest of the week is enough time to let the challah turn green. (There is just so much French toast one can eat).
We were married on November 14th, 2020 There were the required 10 people present (a minyan). The rest were on Zoom—almost a hundred viewers. I wrote about it for Thrive Global The Rabbi said it was a bright spot in this whole bleak season. Ever since, we have celebrated Shabbat and all the holidays alone and that includes Passover.
The children are adults with their own families. Everyone is scattered all over the country. Even before Covid-19, it was a rare occasion that we got together. That is how the world is now. The pandemic only makes it more pronounced. Gone are the days when the grandparents lived downstairs or next door.
In a way it is sad. In a way it makes you more self- sufficient. I think Henrietta Szold,(1860-1945) the founder of Hadassah, said “when one door closes, another one opens up,” or words to that effect.
I worry that we have become accustomed to being “shut-ins.” I think it has made many people fearful to return to normalcy. It is so easy to wear sweats and no makeup. It’s the new normal. But I don’t like it.
I am tired of wearing a mask. Some wear two masks. One of my doctors wears two masks and a face shield. He looks like he came from outer space. When will it end? Soon, I hope. I am ready for herd immunity to take over.
My husband is calm. Nothing seems to faze him. He is my rock. He keeps me anchored. I hope we have many more years in which he makes Kiddush and we are together.