OK dear Julie thanks for providing me with my number. I deeply thought about it and decided to play... My number is 5. Here are 5 things that most people dont know about me. 1) I was born Irina Davidovna Batt in Kiev, Ukraine on February 6, 1962. 2) When I was 6 my mother remarried to a wonderful and righteous man (who became my active father) and together they gave me a beautiful sister Ann whos also my BFF. It was my fathers Zionism and love for Judaism & Israel that was planted by my father as a seedling in my heart. (I vowed when I grow up to practice this passion and devote my time to it. Today, I sell Judaica, work with special needs children, teach Hebrew School, sell tickets to Israel, plan parties and design English/Hebrew invitations. I know it sounds like a lot, but I love what I do, and somehow with Gods gracious help, it all comes together...) And so after countless battles, demonstrations on Babii Yar, and such, we emigrated to our homeland in the holy land, freeing all of us from bondage of the iron curtain, and later to US at the age of 12 (my Mommys desire which allowed our family to live the American dream). It was there in Israel that my father was finally able to adopt me and honor me with his last name. We got to US when I was 12 that I first met my BFF Laurie in elementary school. What initially attracted us to each other was that we were both adopted. She was blond, a real American beauty, I was a brunette with frizzy hair (still am but honorably getting 50 shades of grey...) and so different... I found her interesting and endearing and she found me worldly since by the time I reached the US soil, I had already been to 6 different countries... We were a real Yin and Yang. We immediately struck a cord and recognized our unspoken love and friendship for each other (although not always in agreement, yet most of the time...) After all, the closest people in our lives are here to challenge us and teach us, and we are to learn from them... In March 2014, we will celebrate a friendship of 40 years.) It was Laurie who taught me how to speak English. So, you can thank her for the long hearts to hearts... She taught me how to dress. How to put a brush in the back pocket of my Faded Glory jeans and how to act American. My parents had given me a loving, stable home, beautiful childhood, love, care, loyalty, and a wonderful life that my vast word bank cannot even express. So it is to my parents that I am the most grateful and thankful at this time right before Thanksgiving. When we got to Israel and when I was my father who raised me and who I love, respect, seek advice from, and value more than I can express, adopted me giving me the most fulfilling life, taught (and still teaching) me the most valuable lessons, parented and raised me to have the best morals and values, to be polite, to be honest, to be descent, to work hard and not to give up till you can be at the top of your game of success, to love and care for people wholeheartedly, and to be first of all a mensch (Jewish for the best person that you can be...) And so I proudly carry his name and became Irene Berenstein (Iris Berenstein in Hebrew). When I got married, I became Irene Berenstein Nurieli when I married my loving husband who gave me my 3 beautiful children whom I am totally devoted to and absolutely adore. 3) I have another sister in Jerusalem whom I just discovered 5 years ago, as well as the most loving aunt and 2 cousins who are like brothers to me here in Denver, CO. 4) While, I was raising my children and was busying myself with child rearing which I strongly tried to emulate in my parents tracks, I lost myself somewhere in translation while I excessively dotted on my kids. I began my road to self re-discovery when I was in my late 40s after I got the courage to uncover my inner demons and open my Pandoras Box. The fear of the unknowns bark are much harder than its bite. I expected the walls to cave in and the world to come tumbling down..., but in reality, this closure was extremely liberating for my soul and so very uplifting for my self-completeness and assuring for my self-asteem. After all, theres nothing better than love and more family. 5) I used to be very insecure and worried way too much about what people think of me. Today I know better and realize: a) that you first need to accept, love and respect yourself before others can completely love and respect you. b) It does not matter what others think of you. It matters what you think of yourself. c) People who love you matter, the rest dont... provided that you first know how to love them unselfishly, so theyll know how to love you in return... d) Every obstacle and an opportunity is for us to progress and move up and forward in order to see and give light. e) God made me special (as well as everyone else on earth), but Im still a long long work in progress as I can always climb up one more steps (and better two or three...) and make myself better than I was the day before.. This was not easy, but very uplifting, freeing, liberating, fulfilling, and rewarding. Thank you Julie. Shabbat Shalom :-)
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 19:34:38 +0000
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