My story began at 42 years old when I adopted my daughter, Julia, at birth. On a cold winter day in a small town in Indiana, I heard a doctor exclaim, "There’s the baby's head. We’re having a baby!" Just a few hours later I helped deliver my daughter.
There’s so much to be said that happened before. And there’s so much to be said that happened after Julia.
Before Julia life was filled with Manolo Blahniks, skinny jeans, wine filled chats with besties sitting barside at the bustling Pastis or the quieter 5 9th,in the meatpacking district. It was 1999, the streets were cobblestone and wobbly under your 4 inch heels and if you were sauntering home as the sun came up, you could hear the trucks and smell the meat just west of Greenwich street at the semi-abandoned meat warehouses.
After 12 years on Wall Street, my 30s were a time to figure out who I wanted to be and dating a lot of Mr Wrongs.The gamut included: The emotionally unavailable, The party guy, The Wall Street guy who was always too busy to text back. The guy who lived in London, The alcoholic, The Australian rugby player who was too young, The Italian who barely spoke english. The list goes on. A potpourri of bad choices.
At 40 I decided to stop dating dummies and focus on what I really wanted, motherhood.Over 2.5 year and 4 IUIs and 4 IVF's ..My body was battered, my heart shattered more with each loss. That's when I decided to adopt!
After placing $13k worth of ads in tiny local newspapers around the country, a very pregnant birth mom called my 800 number. She decided there was a connection, and 5 days later I flew to Indiana to meet her. We bonded over burgers at Checkers and went to a local hospital for a checkup. The checkup of course was more than that, as she was actually in labor.
I flew back to NYC with Julia and settled into our new life together. I never dated, and didn't even try to, until ...I fell in love.
Head
Over
Heels
Here's how the love story went...
I met him in 1992. Carefree gorgeous surfer boy with broad shoulders under faded billabong t shirts, blonde wavy hair, a warm kind smile. He introduced himself to me at a bar late one evening at Univ of Maryland, and I was smitten. It was perfect, except he wasn't Jewish. We broke up in 1995 and NEVER spoke again! ( pre cell phones and facebook stalking existed)
Fast forward 24 years... I run into his best friend at the airport, who told me that B had gotten divorced, and snaps a picture of us and sends it off to BWe spend covid together with romantic home cooked meals, and long walks. We introduce our kids and go body surfing, and get icees at the Jersey shore. I think to myself, can I really get this lucky in life?
10 months later, Julia and I move to Pennsylvania.
I thought that I had the perfect ending to my love story. I was going to write the next blockbuster rom-com, become rich and live happily ever after as a modern day Brady bunch!
But, it wasn't. We had love, but blending families is tough. Love in a bubble is beautiful, but bubbles are fragile, and my love bubble burst.
My next chapter is in Miami. Starting over. Baby and me.
I look at the map of my life and I can't believe some of the hapstance blessings that I've been gifted.
My screenplay is still in beta. I dont know if it will ever be ready to be released. I just know that I will keep living, keep loving and keep hustling.