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Gary and his Mom
My parents came to visit. One night about 4 am I found my mom vomiting in the sink. I confronted her and sent her to our doctor that really did not want to take care of this old foreign lady. When she arrived back in SA, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was devastated. The doctors informed us and not my parents. I had such a battle with my siblings when to inform them. It was Yom Kippur and I just wanted them to have one more high holiday together. My siblings wanted me to respect their dignity and inform them. I told them to fuck dignity and to let them in their naivety enjoy their last high holiday together. I don?t know how one enjoys Yom Kippur, but I just wanted them to be together. Thank GOD I won because the doctors realized my dad could not take it. Lionel Abrahams over the internet was consoling me. He in his wheel chair was consoling me. I knew my mom was going to die in a few months. He encouraged me to write. I wrote and wrote and after reading it, it felt so pathetic. Lionel kept on critiquing my words. He basically said I will never be writer but encouraged me to keep writing. After so many tears I finally ended up with only a few words which I forwarded onto him.
A eulogy to my mom
In Ones Eyes
In the eyes of my mom, I am a perfect son.
I can do no wrong.
It is never my fault.
It is always someone else?s fault, in the eyes of my mom.
In my eyes, mom, you are wrong.
I am not a perfect son, but you are a perfect mom.
In my eyes, with the passing away of my mom, numerous molds have been broken.
The mold of a perfect mother.
The mold of a perfect wife.
The mold of a perfect friend.
The mold of a perfect lady.
I love you mom.
God bless you, God be with you and thanks for everything.
Lionel?s response to me was Dear Gary, words will never be able to describe your mom.
From Me
March 2010 Facebook
What is with all this debate about real chopped liver? grated carrots and spices ?.Tzimis ?.. Goodwill recipe book. U have not lived until u have tasted my mom?s herring. Unfortunately she has passed away. My mom use to prepare this smorgasbord of herring? hot? cold.. creamy?spicey etc.. and gefilte fish with strong chraine that cleared the sinuses. After the chicken and matzo ball soap I was farklempt ?I could not consume another item.
My parents came to LA one year for Passover.
Mom: Gery could I do the cooking for Passover.
Gery: Absolutely. I don?t think Karen will object. I would love it if u only prepared your usual herring buffet.
Mom: I can?t get herring like in SA.
Gery: Careful what u say. America is the land of opportunity and if u can?t find it in LA u have not looked hard enough.
Off we went to Fairfax ?an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. When we arrived back Karen took one look at all the smelly herrings with their eyes and announced not in her kitchen are we going to chop off the heads, de-scale, and de-bone them. So I moved out the cars from the garage and erected a table and pots and pans. I told Karen it was not very nice that my parents travel all the way from SA and we stick my mom in the garage to prepare the Passover meal. It was a great meal and loved by all.