Friday, January 31, 2020

My Friendship With Rhonda Reminds Me of a Friendship With a Pen-Pal That I Finally Meet Face to Face

My friendship with Rhonda reminds me of a friendship with a pen-pal that I finally get to meet face to face.  She has become one of my closest and dearest friends and what's amazing is we did not know one another face to face until just a few years ago.



Rhonda and I first met online in 2002 during the days of E-Groups/Yahoo Groups.  We were both members of a group associated with a religious organization I once worked for and where Rhonda and her husband worked at.  We had a mutual friend, Lisa Cohen, who told her about a book I wrote.  Rhonda read the book I wrote about my life, so Rhonda had the advantage of knowing something about me, but I knew little about her.

I wrote posts in that Yahoo Group and Rhonda would respond.  She seemed like a sensitive person, but that is all I really knew.

One of first really major connections occurred on September 16, 2005.  That was the day Rhonda's second child, a son, named Daniel was born.

September 16, 2005 was also the day that my husband, Dan, was in a horrible accident that changed my family's life forever.  Until then, my life and my children's lives were like Peter Pan: We seemed to jump from one adventure to another and thought only happy thoughts.  All that changed that day.

On that day, although Rhonda was giving birth, I asked people from all religions to pray for my husband and pray for me and my children.  She promised she would do that.

Dan miraculously lived and recovered.

As the years passed, Rhonda kept in touch with me online.  She had another child, a boy named Yossi, in 2010.  I was actively unschooling-homeschooling my three children and Rhonda was doing the same thing although her children are younger than mine.

In September of 2016, I heard from Rhonda while I was in southern California..  She reached out to me via Facebook Messenger and asked if perhaps I could meet her at her children's home school supplement that met in Long Beach while she was on a break from teaching.  She told me she had no "agenda" and was, at the time, on break from her work with the religious organization.  We exchanged some emails.  I decided I really wanted and needed to meet Rhonda face to face.

I told her I'd bring some scooters and hang out with her boys during their lunch break at the homeschool co-operative supplement.  Her oldest child, Gabriella, was at another homeschool program the day we met.





Getting together was so fun that I suggested we meet at a local ice rink and I would teach her children to skate.  Again, we had a great time together and I fell in love with her children too.



As time has passed, every time I am in Long Beach, I get together with Rhonda.  Sometimes we just take a walk or  hike together or sometimes we go out for a meal or coffee.  After skating once, I got to visit her house and meet her dog.  During my last trip to California, I finally got her to scooter with me!



Last year, one of the highlights of our friendship was attending her son Daniel's Bar Mitzvah which took place in the Gordon's backyard.  Daniel did a great job.  The connection I have with Daniel since he was born the same day of my husband Dan's accident came to me on that special day.  Her daughter Gabriella sang "Let Us Exalt His Name Together" which is one of my favorite songs.  It was very moving to hear that song at Daniel's Bar Mitzvah.  Our mutual friends, Lisa and Mike Cohen, were at the Bar Mitzvah.  Mike ran the service.  I also got to see Rhonda's friend Stephanie Silverman who I had met in Colorado Springs when Stephanie was visiting her sister Michelle.  (Rhonda really wanted me to meet her friend Stephanie and I can see why...Stephanie is so, so sweet!)



As my friendship with Rhonda grew, I eventually got to know Rhonda's husband, Cyril.  We met face to face for the first time at a Chinese restaurant.  The entire Gordon family came to that restaurant, but also our friend Dan and Lori Olds came.  I was totally amazed that night since way before I'd met Rhonda, I'd met Cyril via email back in 2002.  He, at the time, did not agree with some activity I was involved in.  What happened then is not necessary to explain on this blog, but what I dreamed for then was the reconciliation of certain people who had once worked for the religious organization both Cyril and Rhonda worked for.  For me, that night showed that some of my dream came true since I was eating and sharing company with Cyril and his family.  How totally wonderful is that?!!!!



(At another meal at the same Chinese restaurant Rhonda introduced me to her friend Marlayne Giron.)





Also, this past summer, I went to New Zealand for two weeks to see my daughter Rebekah who was performing with Disney On Ice in New Zealand.  I needed someone to keep an eye on my dad and take him out to eat.  Cyril made the commitment to be with my dad every day and Rhonda filled in when Cyril could not be there.  Just before I left I got to take their cute dog Charlie (sometimes called Mootles) for a scooter ride with me while Cyril took my dad to the Men's Club at Temple Israel.



Rhonda and her family have also gotten to know my husband Dan and my son Joel.  The entire Gordon family got to see Joel perform in Disney On Ice Frozen in Long Beach and Rhonda and her kids got to see Joel perform again in Disney On Ice Mickey's Search Party.





We share a love of healthy food (mostly vegan) so we met at Rhonda's favorite vegetarian Asian restaurant (Happy Veggie) and also at Veggie Grille and Mother's.  We've even shared Japanese Curry together which is my son Joel's favorite.


As time has passed, I've learned some very cool things about Rhonda.  She grew up in New York.  She holds a Master's Degree and is working on a PsyD and is a registered psychology assistant!  She is also a teacher. She also was an aerobics instructor.  She wrote for several newspapers and had articles published in several magazines including Old Schoolhouse Magazine and Practical Homeschooling.

She and Cyril met in Hawaii and only knew one another for only three weeks before they got married on January 16, 1999!  How romantic is that!!!?   Also, Cyril is both an Israeli and French citizen.



It's been only three and a half years since Rhonda reached out to me, but what has evolved is a friendship I cherish.  We can call one another anytime and confide in one another.  We care about each other like family.  We are so much alike and we are almost like sisters.  I know we will be lifelong friends.



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