The Tenth Man

He asked me out for a second date and I eagerly agreed to see him the following Sunday. All was well with the world.

Except for one thing. I still had a date with number nine scheduled for the following evening. We went out, but my heart was not in it. Although the boy was just as lovely as he had been on our first date, the mood was not right, and we decided not to continue seeing one another.

Back to number ten. We spent the entire Sunday together, and had a fabulous time. Ditto the next Sunday. And the next. I think you get the general idea.

To make a long story somewhat short, the rest is history. I ended up marrying number ten after all.

Now we really have to fast forward, as much has transpired in the interim.

My number ten date and I recently celebrated our lev (32nd) anniversary, kein yirbu, and are the proud parents of ten beautiful children, kein ayin hara, and half a dozen grandchildren, kein yirbu.

After more than three decades and many shared experiences together – some challenging, but most wonderful – our phone conversations remain by far the weakest link in our relationship. Truth to tell, I still have not learned to enunciate – and now our hearing is going as well!

But I can live with that. As far as I am concerned, my tenth man is most definitely, absolutely, positively a ten!