It's all true. Every word.

Thanks for promoting me!

David

Priorities! If everyone only had their priorities as clear as your mom, this world would be a lot calmer and happier place.

Hmmm . . . I'm sure there's something to it when you say you're waiting for the person who's looking for you. But, I wouldn't say that. There are people looking for me who are not at all people who I want to be found by.

I think we all have our own ideas of who we are waiting for. The clearer we can be about that, the more likely we'll find someone who will fulfill our heart's desires.

I had a sense of who I was waiting for. I had ideas. I didn't know she existed until you and I found each other.

That's great, Fanfic. I love questions. I have many myself. I would thoroughly enjoy being honored by you sharing your questions with me.

Wow, interesting question. For sure. And, actually, it is one that I have thought about, albeit decades ago, not recently.

There ARE negative connotations to the word "Jew". There are echoes and ghosts of lingering anti-semitism. Some elements in the larger society attaches negative judgment to being a Jew, which for them is the "other". That has had terrible consequences, as you must know. And, honestly, I don't think that is entirely over yet.

Nonetheless, I am a Jew. If anyone has a problem with that, it's their problem -- not mine. If some parts of society put some negativity onto that identity, me using some other form of labeling is certainly not going to solve that problem. One way to counter that negativity is to apologetically claim the identity.

When I grew up -- and even today -- there were organizations called things like the Young Mens Hebrew Association and the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, instead of the Young Mens Jewish Association and the Baltimore Jewish Congregation. I think that choice of public naming was a defensive measure by Jews who found themselves needing to negotiate life in a society dominated by a culture which imposed negative judgments on Jews. Possibly they thought that Hebrew had fewer negative connotations than "Jewish".

Anyway, Fan, that's a good question. Thank you. I hope my reply offers you some understanding of my own personal perspective.

Well, Jadedog, thank you for the congrats. I feel very good about it being published and shared with people in Pakistan. There are 88 comments on the Pakistani website; some of them have 100+ likes. The editor told me on the day it was published it was one of the ten most-read pieces in English in Pakistan. So, I do feel good about sharing the perspective expressed in it.

You say you still disagree. The whole purpose of Hubski is to provide a venue for thoughtful discussion, right? So, disagreement is a good thing when we share and explore ideas. I thank you for your comments.

Yeah, Jadedog, I don't imply that only religious people have the heart to help. In fact, sadly, as I look around this broken world we live in, I see many people who perceive themselves to be religious to also be very bigoted, selfish, negative toward others, etc. Many people who reject religion are quite welcoming, generous, caring, compassionate, etc.

I am speaking as clearly as I can of this one guy who I know -- myself. I am not speaking for anyone else.

Funny! I did not write that headline! I am totally comfortable writing, "As a Jew, . . . " The headline editor of Dawn came up with that language, perhaps because of some kind of sensitivity in Pakistan.

I'd love to take you up on the toast one day . . . or night . . . or more.

So cool that you could retrieve that post. So, are you in Seattle?

Thank you for your very lovely implicit wishes for the longevity of Lil and me truckin' together.

We both have been there and done that wedding thing, more than once for each of us. We've both learned that a wedding does NOT guarantee love and/or happiness. So, for now, we are grateful for the love and happiness. Wedding is not on our to do list.

If you and we are ever in the same place at the same time, Kleinbl00, we will find many, many things to toast, I am sure. Shall we? Where on the planet do you spend most of your time? For all I know, you could be in the next block over or even my downstairs neighbor.

I too am so very grateful, Lil, that you found such deep and real community to walk with you through that valley of shadows and now beyond.

I am grateful beyond words, beyond conceptualizing, that I too have been graced to walk with you for part of that journey and, God willing, at least a bit farther into the future.

Hubski is a great community. We human manifestations of divine presence are a strange lot. It's so important to have good company and some laughs along the way.

Beautiful, Kleinb100.

Very exciting, Brother Bootz! I'm really happy for you on both counts. Very cool about TU and also about the house. Awesome. I'll expect to see it next time I'm in B'more.

I once heard about a wise woman who said that happiness is a choice.

Being happy is not the same as being a happy person.

Being happy is in the moment. Being a happy person is a personality trait.

It's important to be just who we are.

"Never the time and the place and the loved one all together." -- Robert Browning

"Never say never." -- Lil

All of my mes love all of your yous.

And, for me, right now . . . some lunching!

And, along with living, loving, laughing . . . more lounging, less longing!

Sail on, Lil. There is more and more behind you, flowing way far away downstream, and so much more up ahead round the next bend that you can only imagine. Sail on -- living, loving, laughing!

I can't vouch for the rest of the story, but that last line is God's honest truth.

WOW! THAT IS AMAZING!!!!! I am floored! So beautiful! I love it! Thank you, thenewgreen!

(Lil just called me at 2 a.m. to tell me that you created this . . . how sweet!)

OK. Well, here goes! My very first post! Ta-DA!

(But first, maybe you should know that I was not born and bred in Canada; it's my adopted country. OK, now you know . . . go and read on.)

Really? Is this Canadian humour on a grand scale? Health Minister "Dr. Philpott" at UN today (4/20) announces legalization of marijuana. Today. 4/20. What a country!

And, uh, is that "Phil-pott" as in phil-osophy, phil-anthropy, i.e. "love"? Or is that "Phil-pott" as in "filled" with pot?

The bigger question: Is this all just fortuitous coincidence? Or does God really exist?

http://www.cbc.ca/1.3544554

It's so beautiful how you share your feelings and what's really going on in your life, both the outward events and the inward responses.

I love how you recognize your sadness and that love is at the deepest root of your sadness, Lil. It's beautiful to see how you are journeying through this part of your life with both your eyes and heart so open.

I'd like offer that there is holiness in that love and that sadness too.