Visitors

So this is what I've been thinking about.

You know that feeling that sometimes you are better friends or think that you are better friends with someone than you really are?

Or you thought you were important to someone or that you were someone whose friendship they valued?

Moving to Israel has really turned into a "I-guess-you-really-know-who-your-good-friends-are" test when hearing about people visiting from the States.

Sometimes we hear about their visit when we bump into them on Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem.

Sometimes we get a phone call as they are leaving for the airport.

Sometimes we get the call three days before they leave wondering if we want to drop everything and run to see THEM before they leave!

Sometimes we get the call that they are in Jerusalem and want to take us out to dinner.

Sometimes we get the call that they want to come to Chashmonaim to see us and see where we live.

And the best is when we get the call before they come and tell us that they want to stay with us. And/or when they call and accept our invitation for a BBQ and a ride to or from the airport.

Could this really be a test of who your good friends are?

I want to think not, but I wonder...

On that note, after sharing a wonderful Shabbat with 7 of our NCSYers and our good friend Shimmy (who called before he came to Israel and is staying with us for the week!), we drove into Jerusalem to see some friends from Boston - I'm not going to tell you which category they fall into! I was so happy to see them and I hope they were happy to see us too. But who knows?

We then drove over to the Renassaince Hotel to see a good friend who was here with the OU convention. And of course, we saw everyone there! Only one of which called us to tell us she was here...

So that's where I'll end. Because although it was great to see familiar faces from the Old Country tonight, it left me wondering.

Do I mean as much as I thought I did to people?
And how do I know who my real friends are?

Wondering...

Shavuah tov - a good week!