Brooke and Yisrael Meir

I always was a little hesitant of "black hatters", but after spending a Shabbos with a recently married friend, and I saw how down to earth her yeshivish husband was, I decided to do a different search... a "yeshivish" search... unfamiliar territory.  Yis was the only gentlemen who caught my eye.  He sounded like a true mentsch with a very good head on his shoulders and I was happy he was divorced because I wanted someone who could understand my past.  He said he was moving to the east coast for his last year of medical school....  PERFECT!!!   I quickly wrote him, and that night he wrote me back.  We IM'd back and forth and stayed up till early morning!  The next day ( I was waitressing at the time), I had a customer come into the restaurant who said he was in a hurry to catch a flight.  The manager asked where he was flying to and he said L.A.   I thought to myself... "whats the chances... but what the heck.."  I said  "You wouldn't happen to know a Yisrael from L.A. would you." We exchanged more info... "He's my best friend", he said.  He called Yisrael up and left a message on Yis's answer machine.   Yis later told me that he knew we were bershert then.  How crazy that his best friend just happened to be visiting Philly, from California, and in the restaurant I waitressed in the very next day after Yis and I first spoke!!!!

 That night Yis and I spoke till again the wee hours of the morning.  We spoke everyday for a week, texting all the time I'd be at work.  I had a free voucher on Southwest that was about to expire and I had been wanting to visit my family in L.A., and I had off from the Kosher restaurant for Pesach, so the adventurer in Yis and I said...  let's meet!   I flew with my beautiful 1 1/2 year old little girl to L.A.  Yis picked us up from the airport because my uncle only had a two seater.  It was love at first sight.  I already knew Yisrael was super special over the phone and it was only a matter if we would be attracted to each other in person.  We had already spoken at length about our values and our goals for the future.  

Our first date was spent heading from the airport to the supermarket so I could buy Pesadich food.  We were both so nervous!  He paid for my groceries and suggested flowers to bring to my uncle and aunt ( I know girls... awwww!).  In the parking lot he stopped the car and jumped out to pick me a rose.  

We spent two months apart which was quite hard.   We both visited each other two more times.  Three months later Yisrael moved to New York and a month later to Philadelphia.  8 1/2 months later were engaged!!  We have wanted to be very sure since we've both have been married before.. so we have taken our time. 

Yisrael proposed to me on January 1st, 2009.  He sent me on a 2 1/2 hour scavenger hunt all over town (starbucks, supermarket, bakery..), ending with finding him at the park where he sat playing the guitar ( which he had taught himself only 5 weeks earlier ) to sing to me and propose. 

People say that when you meet your bershert you will just know.  It's easy to talk someone into being your bershert.  My advice to others is to have will power, stay strong, be smart...  your energies should flow.  DONT SETTLE.  You know what you want, be true to yourself.  Once you meet your bershert, make it a priority to set up others and help others find theirs...  we all need to take this work more seriously.  Thank you HaKodesh Baruch Hu!!!!  Thank you for being the Shaliach Frumster!!  Thank you to my Yisrael who has been a most precious gift in life.