Losses big and small

Today I begin with a quote from one of my favorite Broadway musicals, Fiddler on the Roof.

 

 

"Oh I'm losing my head.  Some day it will fall off altogether, a horse will kick it into the mud and 'Goodbye, Yenta'."

 

I begin with this quote because of Miriam.

 

Mariam is an old friend, she was Drew's houseguest over the weekend.  She comes in from Israel once a year to visit her family, and always manages to spend some time with us as well.   

 

This visit was not planned, Miriam raced home to the States when she learned her mother was deathly ill.  She was able to have a last visit with her mother before her mother passed away.  Of course she had time with her family.  And then she came to us.

 

She arrived Friday.  And as soon as she unpacked in the guest room, she realized she forgot to bring the charger for her cell phone and her toothbrush.  Both problems were easily remedied, as I had a charger that works with her phone, and I had an unused toothbrush.

 

Yesterday she took the train back to Queens, she's staying in the apartment that was her mother's home.  Drew drove her to the train station. 

 

Five minutes after they walked out the door, I saw it.  Miriam's phone, plugged into the charger and sitting on the dining room table.

 

I called Drew, but his cell phone was dead.  And Miriam didn't realize she left her phone at Drew's house until after she was on the train.

 

Drew doesn't have time to drive to Queens, but fortunately another friend will be able to meet up with Miriam and give her the phone.

 

This is  typical Miriam, by the way.  She's always leaving something somewhere.

 

That's how I met Neil.

 

Three years ago, Miriam came to Drew's house after visiting with Neil.  And didn't realize until late in the evening, as we were all getting ready for bed,  that she'd left her backpack -- with her passports -- at the Neil's house.  She  needed those passports in order to fly home to Israel.  She was lucky Neil didn't mind driving over to Drew's house...

 

When she comes next year, I'll know to remind her to make sure she has everything before she walks out the door...