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I know my kids are popular. They have lots of great friends..and I envy them to some extent.
But, when parents approach me, they're almost vetting my sons out for their daughters. One such exchange came when I was attending a dinner with my oldest. The parents of one of my sons friends came up to us, the mother gave my son a kiss and a hug, and gave me a kiss too. I shook the father's hand and we made our niceties.
"I love your son!" the mother gushed.
I laugh: "Thanks - he's a good kid" I respond.
"No, I'm serious..he's such a good boy." she said.
Now, she's right..he's a good looking young man, again, has a knack for picking some great friends and has a lot of them. He's smart, very smart..he's very confident..I've never seen him get nervous - not for a test, not for a sports team tryout..nothing. And despite being "smart" he isn't socially uncomfortable..He's a great mix..and a perfect son.
"I would love for him to date my daughter!" she said.
"But, you won't let him, right?"
To which I smiled...and gave a unconvincing..and uncomfortable nod...NO..
To wit, the mother gave me a light slap on the arm...and mosied away to say hi to some other of their friends.
I guess I'm old fashioned that way. I don't walk around with a black coat, and a long beard..I don't have "peyos" those curly long sideburns of the religious sect. We're not very religious..although my kids do attend religious "Sunday" school and have had their religious coming of age ceremonies, like all the children do. We travel on Saturdays..we eat pork..we're the modern day Jew.
Some will say I'm being excluding, some will say I'm acting like a closed minded idiot..others will say even worse (believe me I've heard it from you guys).
But, apparently, these non-Jewish friends of ours, know that I wouldn't approve if my son married out of the religion. It's silly...maybe so. In this day of mixed marriages..heck, most of my friends come from mixed marriages...it's odd I guess that I would hold onto this one bastion of conservatism.
I remember being younger..in high school. We were no more religious than I am right now (maybe a little more). Girls would call me..and if the girl was clearly not-Jewish, my Mom would say I wasn't home and hang up. It drove me insane!
Now, this mother's girl is wonderful..I know their family is great..they seem happy. They also have wads of money...very well off. The mother is beautiful and you can tell that one day, the daughter will grow up to be as beautiful or more so. But, when stable, successful marriages are so hard to come by, do newlyweds need that additional burden of a religious impediment? I mean, we don't have a Christmas Tree, or a Chanukah Bush. We're Jewish..I brought my kids up with that tradition. I don't think it's too much to ask that that tradition lives on.
Later this week: big announcement at BLM!
