How I Met and Married MHW - Part I

On Friday, MHW and I celebrate our 25th anniversary. I thank G-d every day that He saw fit to allow this most improbable shidduch to occur. It just proves that the Aibishther has a sense of humor.

I will refrain from singing MHW's praises publicly because she reads this blog and will not be happy if I do. Unlike me, a loudmouth, she is very private and tznuah. So, suffice it to say that MHW rocks.

Instead, I will tell the story of how we met and married. While it may not compare to Robert and Karen Averech's story (I didn't even know MHW when I was ten, much less love her), and I am not a hundreth of the writer Robert is, it is still a pretty cool story.

Scene I. The First Round

I was a first-year law student when my sister in law (MSIL) proposed a "blind date" with MHW. MSIL and MHW had attended Brooklyn College and MSIL sang her praises. It turns out that MHW had gone to the same high school as I albeit a couple of years behind me. I quickly looked for a picture of her in one of my old yearbooks but the best I could find was a picture from ninth grade. Oh well.

In any event, we went out three times. I recall having very nice times but for reasons that are still unclear (probably the "commitment thing"), I stopped calling her. MHW will tell you that she didn't really care.

Scene II. "I'm Going to Marry That Girl".

Approximately three years later, during my first year working in a law firm, my parents asked me to drive them to Grossingers on the Sunday of Presidents' Day weekend (It may have still been called Washington's Birthday, I forget). They were going to be spending a few days there and didn't want to drive. I didn't mind because (a) it meant a free lunch for me, (ii) I could ice skate in the afternoon, and (iii) Grossingers was the site of a single's weekendand, well, you never know.

After getting my parents settled in their room, we went for lunch. I walked into the dining room and saw a table filled with familiar faces. Then I saw MHW.

Something hit me. Love at second sight. It immediately became clear to me that I had to marry MHW. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind. And, being the cocky sonofagun that I was, I had no doubt that I would marry her. None.

I moseyed over to MHW and engaged in some small talk. I asked her what she was planning to do that afternoon, and to my great good fortune, she said she would be ice skating. That's funny, so was I. See you there!

I went back to my parents' room. I was very pumped. I said to my mom: "Remember MHW? I went out with her a couple of years ago? I'm going to marry her". She laughed but, since she thought the sun revolved around me and that I could do no wrong (I'm her youngest child) probably didn't doubt that I would.

Scene III. The Skating Rink

Fortunately, I was a very good skater so I was able to stalk MHW around the rink all afternoon long. I put on my best hock. I was laying the groundwork. MHW seemed receptive to my hock and didn't seem to mind (or notice) that I was stalking her. After a couple of hours I said goodbye and drove back to Manhattan.

NEXT: Part II: Seven Weeks