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The Patience of a Mother
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“Mom knows best.”
This is a common phrase that Todd Fritz now takes to heart more than ever. It is the reason his wife, Jen, and him are together, and it shows the complete embodiment of who Jen is as a wife and mother herself.
When Todd and Jen first started dating, they actually lived across the country from one another. They met after being introduced by Todd’s mom, and he took Jen on a date to La Villa in Brooklyn, NY, and he knew after that first date that he did not want it to be their last.
“I had to fly back to Los Angeles early the next morning, so we had the challenge to keep the long-distance relationship going,” Todd said. “Jen was working at the same school my mom was teaching at – PS 100 in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. It’s also the elementary school that me, my brother and my sister all attended. My mom told me she was working with a nice Jewish girl that I should meet.”
Before they even met in person, Todd had arranged for Jen’s favorite baseball player at the time – Derek Jeter – to give her a call after he had booked ‘The Captain’ to make an appearance on ESPN’s “Up Close” program in their Hollywood, CA studios.
Now, that special moment seems minuscule compared to the many memories Todd and Jen have had together since then, and it speaks volumes to their relationship and to Jen as a whole. For many couples, this would have been the highest moment in their relationship, but for Todd and Jen, it is just a mere memory – albeit a special one – that took place over 25 years ago.
Since the moment they first met in person, Jen has been making Todd’s life infinitely better than it was before. He has seen what a unique personality his wife has, and he knows that she is a selfless, one-of-a-kind woman.
“Jen is loving, caring, compassionate, understanding, dedicated, reliable, kind and reassuring,” Todd said.
Jen is one of those people who makes the world a better place by shining a light wherever she goes, and everyone all around her is appreciative of all she does for them. From bringing a smile to their faces by helping pick them up when they are down, Jen lives her life with genuineness and empathy.
“I admire her dedication to her family and career,” Todd said. “She is always staying calm in any situation, trying to make life easier for those around her.”
Jen is an elementary school reading teacher who has a heart for those kids, but her heart is even more inclined to take care of her own two kids before all else.
Todd and Jen’s two kids – Jordan and Lindsay – are both in their later teenage years, and despite one being in college and one heading to college in just over a year, there is not a single thing that comes between Jen, Jordan and Lindsay. Jen has always had a special bond with the two of them, and it is something that Todd feels blessed to see firsthand on a daily basis.
“She means the world to me,” Jordan said. “Knowing I have quick access to the answer to virtually any of my questions is very comforting. She is powerful and intelligent, though still not as smart as me. Also, she knows how to cheer me up when I’m down, even though I may not realize it at the moment.”
No matter what he needs, Jordan knows he can call his mom up and she will be there for him in the blink of an eye. She is smart and witty, and she knows how to bring joy to the darkest moments.
Jen’s kids love her so much and they are appreciative of her, and they see her as truly irreplaceable.
“She is my best friend through life,” Lindsay said. “She is the most organized, smart and beautiful woman in the whole world. She makes life worth living and never fails to pick me up on my hardest days. She makes me smile on days I don’t feel like smiling. There’s no other person in the world that can cheer me up the way she can. I’m beyond proud to call her my mom. I hope she knows how amazing and special she is.”
There is so much love to go around in the Fritz household that it’s contagious, and Todd knows that he surely married a special one.
Jen is always there for anyone at the drop of a hat, and her selflessness and true compassion for the people she loves and cares about is just one of the many reasons she is second to none.
Todd never wants to imagine what his life would look like had his mom not decided to point out Jen all those years ago. Someone like Jen only comes around once in a lifetime, and he is glad he did not blink and miss her.
“She is supportive and always there to provide confidence and stability for the entire family,” he said. “She always has time for others, no matter how busy she is with her own daily responsibilities.”
Since Jen always makes it her business to prioritize everyone else around her first, she is admired, adored, respected, and loved both on the home front and among her colleagues at work.
Todd, Jordan and Lindsay are so grateful to have Jen in their lives, and they are glad they get to celebrate her each and every day.
“I greatly appreciate her and everything she does for the family,” Todd said. “Her strength, confidence, wisdom and caring for others are always something we can count on and don’t take for granted.”
