good shabbos

When I met Him in 2001 I had no idea how he would change my life. Now that we're married I've been thinking about how He has changed me and how our relationship has been shaped from our backgrounds. Most meaningfully, how we have come together to share a mutual faith.

He was Jewish and grew up living a typically "Jewish" lifestyle: Hebrew school, bar mitzvah, enjoying the pleasures of smoked lox on a bagel, learning how to be self-deprecating so it comes across as charming enough so, but yet not a Woody Allen wannabe. Maybe not that last one, though He certainly has mastered it well.

At the time we met He was clear that He was Jewish and while we could have a relationship, He was serious about being Jewish. Forever. As in, "I intend on leading a Jewish life," which I understood through His carefully chosen words and actions rather than us ever having THE conversation. In fact, I had never really been so closely acquainted with anyone who was Jewish, much less had a relationship, so I was probably more curious than anything.

As we grew closer and our relationship developed (as in, we got "serious" and he asked me to wear his ring - only kidding, a little), I became even more curious in exploring his faith. The first time I went to Friday evening services at a synagogue in our college town I did so under the guise of research for a class I was taking. Where that lead is truly amazing.