my thoughts...

i spent this past shabbos at my cousin, and i went to shul with her where i met a woman who told me a cool story:

this woman is a succesful practicing doctor. she and her husband have two gorgeous kids. they are the type of couple that plan the perfect life and then live it-except there was one thing they didn't plan. after her two perfect kids she gave birth to a girl with Down's Syndrome. and she didn't know in advance. after the initial adjustment period, they discussed the name. it is said what women get a spark of Divine Providence when they have to name their babies. the woman told me that the name she though of was Leora. that her baby should be a light for them and for everyone. her husband liked the name, but they decided to think it over and go for a second opinion. later that day, her husband missed his bus to go home, and had to take the second bus. as he was getting up at his stop, the guy behind him tapped him on the shoulder and said "excuse me, i think you forgot your credit card" the husband looked down, and saw a card on the floor, but it wasn't his. but he picked it up anyway. he called the credit card company to cancel it and they told him they needed the name on the card. so he flipped the card over to look at the name.

it was leora.

the baby's name is leora.

as i was talking to this women, i could see the faith she has in Hashem, and the love she and her husband have for their child. i wish her much success and happiness in raising her three gorgeous children.


and lunch was really weird becuase my cousin has a friend that had recently moved to a very out of town community and was back in the neighborhood with three of his students, so they all came over for lunch. the boy sitting next to me only ate turkey roll. and the way he ate it was by picking it up, bringing it really close to his face, and ripping it to pieces. and he read cartoons at the table.