He would call me about now on a hot summer day in June. “Hey Babe” I would say. “Hey Babe” he would reply. “Simon’s into the recyclables again making some contraption;” I would say with a tone of voice implying him to please come home now so he could take over the kids after a long day.

Jay was always good at swooping in and taking over the kids and tidying up the house all so effortlessly. Similar to the way he swooped in when we met while I was in graduate school living in my very messy bedroom from high school. He spent an entire day helping me clean out my closet.

Twelve trash bags to Goodwill later and I was in love. It was obvious my mom was too when she yelled out the front door as we left for one of our very first dates “I know a son-in-law when I see him!”

Junebug with ice cream all over her face and a heart broken into many pieces needed someone to tidy her up. The diamond I inherited from my grandmother fit perfectly into the vintage engagement ring Jay picked out for me. Kismet as they say in Yiddish… destiny, fate, meant to be.

The “meant to be’s” in life remind me of the waves on Miami Beach and I can see the six year old flying kites on the beach with her dad turn into an insecure twenty six year old who meets her Phish loving husband. And the waves roll in and out through the years with babies and toddlers and hard times and great times and kids and tweens and now a teen and new music.. always new music and lots of hope.

“Listen to this song” Jay would say to me. And before the song was even done he would ask "do you like it? “Babe, you know I have to listen to a song more than once before I can tell you if I like it.” Yes, up above my head, I can hear Jay wanting me to listen some more.

Up above my head I hear music everywhere
Up above my head I hear music everywhere
I really do believe, I really do believe
There's a joy somewhere

"Up Above My Head" is by The Wood Brothers. Jay could be seen at every single Wood Brothers show in Nashville often with his dad and brother and always with a huge smile on his face. Jay on our honeymoon below.