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We Are Having a Baby!

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes, 35 seconds
Jan, Jon and Richard

DC Trip

Honey, I am as concerned as you are”” I stated as we finished breakfast. “My bike ride to East Harlem was mostly at night, but today it will be in the daylight”” I could not tell her how anxious I was. I had not told her how difficult that bike ride was, but I had few choices this morning as I needed to be on a train from Penn Station to DC by mid-afternoon. Can you suggest an alternate idea for getting to the train on time?”

“No, but I am worried. I love you and never want to lose you, especially if we are having a baby” her eyes blinked at me,””I do not want to be a parent without you.”

My voice choked as tears formed in the back of my throat. 

Finally, I spoke, “I plan to be as safe as possible.

I stood up, walked around the table, and put my arms around her. 

“Will you call me when you drop off the bike? Get on the PATH train and arrive at Penn?”

Yes.

“Ninth Street is where you said I should get the PATH. Are you sure they are not on strike?”

“Jan stood up and hugged me. “No, they are not on strike. Remember, they are the Port Authority Trans Hudson trains!” 

“Right,Rockefeller’ss deal to get Jersey to allow him to build the World Trade Center.”

How do you know so much trivia when you did not grow up here? I used to ride PATH when it was the Hudson Tubes.”

“I will pack while you get ready for work.”

My backpack was already packed except for my toothbrush and toiletries. While Jan was in our tiny bathroom, I closed my eyes and prayed that I would be home with Jan in four days.

Jan finished getting dressed while I brushed my teeth and collected the items I needed from the bathroom. 

She walked down the front stairs, and I took the back stairs to pick up my Schwinn ten-speed. I walked the bike to the front of our home and waited for John to pick her up. 

John pulled up as I kissed Jan. 

I can drive around the block if you need privacy and more time,” he chuckled.

Jan got in the car, and they drove west, and I went in the opposite direction.

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The Pursuit of Happiness

Read: January 2025

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The Pursuit of Happiness

by Jeffrey Rosen

Today, I started reading Jeffrey Rosen‘s book, “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders.” This New York Times bestseller examines what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders, how that iconic phrase influenced their lives, and how it provided the foundation for our democracy—a quest for being good rather than merely feeling good.

The Declaration of Independence identifies “the pursuit of happiness” as one of our unalienable rights, alongside life and liberty. Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, profiles six of the most influential Founding Fathers—Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton—to explore what pursuing happiness meant to them. This work provides “the best and most readable introduction to the ideas of the Founders that we have” (Gordon Wood, author of “Power and Liberty“).

By examining the classical Greek and Roman moral philosophers who inspired the Founders, Rosen illustrates how they understood the pursuit of happiness as a quest for being good rather than simply feeling good. It is about striving for lifelong virtue instead of seeking short-term pleasures. Among these virtues were the habits of industry, temperance, moderation, and sincerity, which the Founders regarded as essential components of personal growth, character development, and self-mastery. They believed that self-governance in politics required self-governance on an individual level. For all six Founders, the pursuit of virtue was fundamentally incompatible with the enslavement of African Americans, although the Virginians failed to uphold their principles in this regard.

Ken Burns describes “The Pursuit of Happiness” as “immensely readable and thoughtful. It is more than just an analysis of the famous phrase in the Declaration. It is a revealing journey into the Founders’ minds, offering a deep and fresh understanding of the foundations of our democracy.

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We Are All the Same in the Dark

Read: January 2023

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We Are All the Same in the Dark

by Julia Heaberlin

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This line from Odette given to Angelica, aka Angel, summarizes the characteristics that each of us should live by.

Tender. Resilient. Strong. Resourceful. Kind. Empathetic.—Six words Marshall Tucker wrote on a piece of paper to describe his daughter, Odette.

As a mensch-in-training, I will strive to live by those six words.

We are truly all the same in the dark.

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The Goodreads summary provides an overview,

It’s been a decade since Trumanell Branson disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her pretty face still hangs like a watchful queen on the posters on the walls of the town’s Baptist church, the police station, and the high school. They all promise the same thing: We will find you. Meanwhile, her brother, Wyatt, lives as a pariah in the desolation of the old family house, cleared of wrongdoing by the police but tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion and a new documentary about the crime.

When Wyatt finds a lost girl dumped in a field of dandelions, making silent wishes, he believes she is a sign. The town’s youngest cop, Odette Tucker, believes she is a catalyst that will ignite a seething town still waiting for its missing girl to come home. But Odette can’t look away. She shares a wound that won’t close with the mute, one-eyed mystery girl. And she is haunted by her history with the missing Tru.

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Read: June 2023

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A Line in the Sand: A Novel

by Kevin Powers

Today I started reading A Line in the Sand: A Novel by Kevin Powers. Listed as one of the books to read this week by The New York Times, which described it as “a stunning novel. Kevin Powers provides what any discerning reader desires the most — complex and flawed characters, precise use of language, succinct description, and believable dialogue.”

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Read: October 2024

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Judaism Is About Love

by Rabbi Shai Held

Today, I embarked on a transformative journey with Rabbi Shai Held’s book, “Judaism Is About Love.” Rav Uri‘s mention of this book during this year’s Yom Kippur service at Temple Sha’arey Shalom sparked a profound connection to the Divine, as echoed in my writings “Love Can Conquer Even Death” and “High Holiday Meditation Cleanses My Soul.” Rabbi Held’s book, which focuses on love, meaning, purpose, and faith, has guided my quest to become the best version of myself.

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“Judaism Is About Love” is a work of ambition and revelation. It serves as a beacon, illuminating the true essence of Judaism. More than just a book, it is an act of restoration from within, reclaiming the authentic form of Judaism.

When you purchase a book through one of my links, I earn a small commission that helps support my passion for reading. This contribution allows me to buy even more books to share with you, creating an incredible cycle of discovering great reads together! Your support truly makes a difference!

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Read: February 2026

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Read: June 2023

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Everything’s Fine

by Cecilia Rabess

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