Cool Reception

In our community, there are things you just have to do. I found that out the hard way when my daughter became a kallah and the first credit card statement came through. Believe me, there were no extras at this simchah, so why was Uncle Heshy giving me the cold shoulder?

Ezra: We made the most basic wedding we could, considering our community’s standards. Sure, I stretched beyond my limit, but did I have a choice?

Heshy: I happily gave you funds to cover basic costs, but I’m in shock. How could you spend a fortune on frivolities with other people’s money? 

Ezra

Perhaps if we lived somewhere else, things would be different.

But moving is not really an option. We have a home, jobs, and kids of all ages and stages settled in their various schools and yeshivos. We have a shul and a rav, wonderful neighbors, and we’re part of a beautiful community.

So yes, there’s a downside: the high costs of living, the standards that have become the norm, the housing crisis, the tuition costs, and the expectations that have only grown over the years.

It’s a small price to pay — haha, pun intended — for all of the brachah in our lives.