The Day It Snowed Stars on New York City

Photo by Arielle Rudin/Gothamist

God knows how to get our attention. And contrary to public belief, he usually speaks in a still small voice, rather than thunder and lightning and tsunamis. Which is why we sometimes claim to miss Him, though He may speak through our children's innocent wisdom, a stranger's casual comment, a lyric in a song.

Yesterday He came like snow, again. (Check out Winter Snow by Audrey Assad).

And the snow was in shapes of stars. Specifically 6 - pointed stars, like the Star of David.

I wondered if He might be asking us not to forget the country whose symbol that is. Not to ignore their existence; not to deny defending them; not to un-friend them as it seems America has on the worldwide facebook page.

For our leader doesn't have the time of day for our long-time ally.

Oh, he has time take selfies on a talk show with a woman whose you tube video went viral. A woman who filled her bathtub with milk and Fruit Loops cereal, got in on all fours and lapped it up like a dog. He has time for that.

But his calendar's too full to meet with Israel's prime minister on a foreign relations tour

or to march with heads of state to resist growing global terror. Or at least to send his representative who was across that Paris street.

Call it crazy or far-fetched, but maybe Someone is gently reminding us to never forget His people; to support and defend them by sending this never before seen weather phenomena

Photo by Arielle Rudin/Gothamist

 of snowflakes in the shape of stars falling on New York City.

Sometimes Love is Like a Bad Tennis Match

Being married for ages has its ups and downs and back and forth's. Especially in conversation. Communication is the hardest part of marriage my father used to say. I didn't understand it then,  but I'm beginning to now.

The dialog often goes like this.

Love, love.

Do you think the paint treatment will hold? 

Don't know. It will be interesting to see if Canola oil can remove oxidation, or at least cover it up.

Of course when it rained I think the windows got cloudy. So I brought some paper towels and now we can windex them down.

It didn't rain before you left.

Yes, it did. Remember you said, wouldn't you know it rains the day you wash the car! It was covered with poinciana petals from the front yard branches that hang over the drive way.

Love, fifteen.

So I feel like our conversations are like bad tennis matches.

We lob sentences back and forth and keep missing the ball.

I send the ball, he misses.

He sends the ball, I miss, never seeming to connect.

I resist throwing the racket at him.

Fifteen, fifteen.

I serve, he misses, he returns it, I miss. We keep missing each other and mass confusion sets in. It's so maddening,  its a wonder we don't pitch the tennis balls and stomp off the court, the both of us.

Oh, he admitted. You're right.

Thank God! Because I feel like I'm going crazy when I cant' remember events that happened a half a day ago.

No it's me that's going crazy, he says.

Fifteen, thirty.

Well, just for today. I'm sure you'll be in your right mind tomorrow.

I'm working on it with diet and exercise, getting my mind back, that is.

We'll work on it together, ok? 

Ok.

Love, Love.