Our Friends During a Pandemic

I first met Joe Friedman in the Summer of 2017 when I brought down a load for our move from Utah to Gilbert, Arizona. He lived across the street with his wife Merle Morgenstern. I was impressed with Joe's friendliness and desire to get to know his new neighbors. Annie was not with me on this trip but I told Joe a little about her and that she was French. The first time he met her he greeted her with a hearty 'bonjour.'

When we moved in on the 1st of September 2017, Merle and Joe came over to say hello and to allow us to meet Merle. They brought some lovely flowers, and we were both impressed with their youthfulness and good cheer. It was not long after that we invited them to dinner, and that began a warm and beautiful 4x4 friendship. I say 4x4 because it is rare that two couples mix and blend so easily and comfortably with each other. While our backgrounds are different (they Jewish and we Mormons) we came to recognize that we connected with them and they with us in many important ways.

Their generosity knows no limits and Merle's ability to organize and schedule events soon included us at performances, dinners and lunches.  

Joe and I have both been trained to not accept as fact everything that is said or reported, but both of us have a desire to be informed, so we enjoyed talking about a myriad of subjects. He is a thinker, and I enjoy that our conversations are not just fluff.

But it was in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic that we saw first hand how thoughtful and kind they are. Every time they were going to shop or order groceries online, Merle would text Annie and ask if we needed anything. It made us feel not just cared for, but cared about. 

Because of the pandemic they decided to stay in Arizona rather than go home to Pittsburgh for the summer. We offered the use of our pool and gave them a key to access it through the side gate. We enjoyed that Merle would come meditate and take a nap on her floating mattress, and then Joe would join her. Some days we would go visit them while they were in the pool and we on the patio. We always enjoyed them, and these pool side chats were priceless. We were so glad they felt welcome and wanted to use it. 

They decided to put a mister on their patio and then invited us to lunch and dinner. They organized their patio tables so we could 'social distance' with them. Merle called them "mister lunches" or "mister dinners." This was been a blessing to us as we had been most careful not to risk going out. But most of all it met all of our needs to be social and enjoy each other. We talked politics, the pandemic, religion, family, trips, books, movies and more. We learned from each other, and felt lived and accepted.  

As the temperature began to cool, and the pandemic was still with us, they decided to put in some heaters on their patio so we could continue our weekly lunches. As the pandemic was winding down, we didn't have weekly lunches, but continued to be part of their lives. They invited us to their legendary New Year's Day open houses, and we met many of their friends. We became part of their daughter's family as well which included the family of their son in law.

Joe and Merle are woven into the tapestry of our lives, and no matter where we are or where they are, our lives will always intersect. So when they came to France to visit us for five days in September 2024, we were able to enjoy them in our French home and love them even more.

We love you guys! We miss you!

To us, fair friends, you never can be old,

For as you were when first you graced our presence,

Such seems your beauty still, yet more.