Crooked Lines: Leading Us to the People We're Meant to Meet

 

When you part company with the life you’ve been living and have to start a new one, what do you do?

I hadn't expected to be divorced. I hadn't chosen to be a single mom--but when my son was three, that's exactly what happened. And I was completely unprepared.

I had moved from the East Coast to the Twin Cities because of my former husband's job as a cantor at a synagogue. Most of the people I knew were from that synagogue. When I moved with my son to the lower half of a duplex in another neighborhood, I was terrified.

I had been lucky to find a part-time job and apartment. But the idea of starting over troubled my sleep and woke me up in the middle of the night. 

I had no idea how I was going to give my son a Jewish heritage from my own perspective--or even know what that perspective was. I also didn't know how to be a "co-parent" with someone I wasn't married to anymore.

The People We're Meant to Meet

And yet, and yet. There is a saying that God paints in crooked lines when leading us to the people we were meant to meet. That’s the focus of my new book Crooked Lines: A Single Mom's Jewish Journey.

I wrote it because I know there are a lot of single moms out there who feel "less than" others: married couples or big families who seem to have everything figured out.

I wrote it because I wanted those single parents, including dads, to know they're not alone.

And because I learned divorce doesn't mean the end of the world, and in fact, can teach you a lot about yourself--and make your future relationships stronger.

I wrote it because I know there are a lot of people who fall in love with someone of a different religious background. I wanted readers to know you can hold on to your heritage and pass it on to your kids with a supportive spouse and faith community. 

I also wrote the book for people whose parents' health may be declining, as mine were. All these transitions are seen through the lens of Jewish holidays and rituals, though readers of all faiths (and none) have told me the stories resonate. That was my intention from the very first word I wrote.

TC Jewfolk Connection

Which reminds me: many chapters in Crooked Lines appeared originally as essays in the online magazine TC Jewfolk, at the suggestion of Founder Leora Maccabee. It was her belief in me and my writing that became the seed for this book--and I will be eternally grateful for that.

I will share more with you soon--and will also be asking your advice on the cover design. Right now, this picture is one of the ideas--so feel free to let me know what you think! As always, I love to hear from you.