It’s been almost four years since we shared our family in the New York Times. At the time, we were inundated with media requests, but also with hundreds of supportive and loving messages from people all over the world. Every now and then, we receive an email from someone who has read the story for the first time or someone who has reread the story. Today, we received this message that touched our hearts:
After this nightmare of an election and this horror of a year, I find myself drawn to good, happy stories. Wholesome things. Cute puppies, kittens, polar bears. I can’t think anymore about our rights being stripped back, or about racism once again becoming the law of the land. I need to close my eyes to that stuff, because we’ll be getting more than enough of it over (at least) the next four years.
And so I remembered your story, which I read in the NYT a while back. So I reread it just now, and once again it brought tears to my eyes.
Never mind all the rest of the reasons people probably thank you after hearing your story (watching the Montel Williams clip was corny enough)… Thank you for reminding me that there’s real good in the world, and sometimes true happy endings are possible.
Have a happy holiday,
Naomi Gumpel
Jerusalem, Israel
Thank you, Naomi.