32 | MAY 25 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
S
ometimes people have scars or
emotional baggage from previous
relationships, but Laura Solomon
of West Bloomfield is proof those things
don’t have to stop a person from living hap-
pily ever after.
Twenty-three years ago, life was falling
apart for Laura. She was recently separat-
ed and had seven kids under the age of 13.
To add to the chaos, she’
d just been called
to her kids’ school because her 4-year-old
son had bitten another child and all of her
kids were being expelled as a result of this
carnivorous act.
Laura rushed to the school and as she
waited for her kids, one of the daycare
workers struck up a conversation. The
worker tried to encourage her and told
Laura that despite her circumstances,
maybe she would find love in the future.
Laura glanced out the window as a
fancy Alfa Romeo roared into the parking
lot and a gorgeous man in a black leather
jacket and sunglasses walked into the
school. Laura shrugged dispiritedly and
said, “It’s not like someone like that is going
to want a broad with seven little kids …
”
Three months later, a friend suggested
Laura try the then-new JDate website.
Laura decided to be extremely specif-
ic about what she was looking for. She
typed in what she now admits was proba-
bly “completely unattainable” search crite-
ria. Her perfect man had to be 36, Jewish,
divorced, have a master’s degree … and be
in law enforcement.
Turned out there was one guy in
Michigan who met all the prerequisites: Jeff
Solomon.
They agreed to meet at Mene Sushi
for lunch. Laura arrived first and soon
saw a fancy car pulling up … a fancy car
that looked kind of familiar! Then a gor-
geous man in a black leather jacket and
sunglasses climbed out of an Alfa Romeo. It
was that same man she’
d said would never
want her just three months before! It was as
though God gave her a preview of what to
expect if she just asked.
The kicker: It turned out Laura’s son had
bitten Jeff’s son — that’s why he’
d been sum-
moned to school that day, too!
They both checked off all the boxes on
each other’s list and were married shortly
after, in February 2002. They became a
blended family with nine kids under the age
of 13, eight boys and one girl, who became
— and still are — best friends.
Jeff was raised in Jackson, one of
three Jews in his high school, and
was in the U.S. Army for 20 years. He
attended the University of Michigan
and University of Houston and traveled
extensively. He has been retired from gov-
ernment service since 2018.
Meanwhile, Laura is a self-proclaimed
homebody from Huntington Woods who
attended Berkley High School. She’s lived
in the same 20-mile radius from
where she was born for 60 years. She is the
director of Advanced Rapid Detox, a sub-
stance abuse treatment center.
“We’re complete opposites. He’s intellec-
tual and quiet and I’m a handful. I needed
someone stable and centered, and he
needed someone who could get him out of
his shell,
” explained Laura of their blissful
21-year marriage.
Their children were bar and bat mitzvah
at Shir Shalom, Shir Tikvah and Temple
Israel back in the day. Now, two of their
sons are married. Laura and Jeff agree that
their kids are their best friends. While
they both enjoy being empty nesters, their
favorite moments are the times they spend
with their kids and their partners (and
granddogs).
Laura’s message: “I thought no one would
want me with so many kids, but everyone
comes with something. People spend so
much time thinking about what they don’t
want, but they don’t necessarily think about
what they do want. If you make a clear-cut
vision for yourself and a clearly defined
target, the universe will bring you the
person you’re looking for. You don’t have to
wait until your kid bites theirs!”
This column will appear biweekly. If you’d like to
share your ‘meet-cute’ story, please email
burstynwithjoy@hotmail.com.
‘Because of a Bite’
ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
HOW WE MET
Jeff and Laura
Solomon
One big blended
happy family