Market Yourself as a Speaker

Farewell to a great lady-my mom

Posted on March 17th, 2009.

Leah Alice Brok Levin made her transition on Saturday, March 14, 2009.  She was 3 months shy of her 90th birthday.  That’s mom and me on her 89th b-day.

She lived with me in Los Angeles for the past four years of her life and it was an honor and pleasure to get reaquainted with her and to  know her in her last years of her life.

I had no idea she was so funny.  She loved to do the cross word puzzles and play scrabble and boggle and stay in touch with current happenings.

We grew up in Queens, New York and she was a pillar of the Jewish Community active in Hadassah for many years.  She was always organizing theater parties and gatherings of her friends and raising money for Israel.  I know where I got my organzational skills from!

I am the oldest of three and the only daughter.  My oldest brother Erv and his wife Lori looked after mom and dad for many years.  When dad retired in 1990 they moved back to Reading, PA where they were born and where their family lived as well as my brother.   Dad passed in 1999 and mom took care of him when he began to fail.

He was a top music arranger and piano player all of his working days.  First his hearing failed and then he lost his eyesight.  In 1998 I bought my first home with the help of my parents.  With great difficulty and courage they flew to LA to see my new home and share in the joy. Dad wanted to see that I was comfortable and living in a good space.  They always shared the wealth with their children and were always there when we needed them. What a blessing.

This is mom and her #1 grandson, Brett Levin and

the second photo is mom and #2 grandson Scott

When mom came to live with me 4 years ago she had sold her house and moved into an assisted living facility in Reading, PA.  She wanted to be near her friends and family.  She almost always came to visit me on my birthday and when she arrived at the airport I was shocked to see that she was unwell and I put her into the hospital and we all decided that she could not go back to PA as none of the kids lived there anymore and she really needed an advocate on her side.

The photo is my sister-in-law Lori  Scott & Brett and brother Erv Levin

 

 

Within 6 months of living with me she was on the mend.  She threw away the walker, sent back the hospital bed and between me and her day caregiver she flourished.  She loved being in my home as there was so much activity with many interesting people stopping by to visit.  We always included her in all of our outings and she was so loved by all.

How many 60 something year old children get to experience their parents in their later years?  I always said it was a blessing for both of us and I really meant that even through the hard and sometimes scary times.

This is mom and my brother David in 2003 when she was visiting him in Oregon.

She lived her life full out and when her number was called she was ready to go.  She told her care giver that she was leaving a few days ago and that she could not go on forever.

She just closed her eyes at 2am in the morning and went to sleep peacefully and took her last breath at 8pm the same day.  No pain at all.  Isn’t that the way we all want to go?

I have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and condolences I have received in e mails and phone messages in less then 24 hours.  I stopped counting after 300 messages.

Michael Gerber shared a lovely poem with me and I share it with you.  Thanks from the bottom of my heart to ya all who reached out to me and my family.

Michael also said:

There are two things that we always do when we hear about the passing of a parent. One is to send a copy of a poem that I wrote over 20 years ago. The other is to tell a true story that my father told me.

He had attended a funeral and after the service, he approached the daughter of the man who had died and said to her “I am sorry about your loss.” She replied saying “I haven’t lost anything. Everything I ever got from him I still have. I just stopped gaining.”

I think that is an extraordinary and great perspective. We should all be so lucky to be able to think of our parents in such terms………and to be remembered that way.

It’s Time For Me To Go

Michael B. Gerber

It’s time for me to go my child
It’s time to move away
I’ll miss you very much and yet,
I can’t wait another day

I love you very much my child
So much, you’ll never know
My heart is always with you
No matter where you go

My days were rich, the years were full,
My life is quite complete
Another world is calling me
For a destiny I must meet

When your eyes are closed I’ll visit you
We won’t be far apart
If you need me, I will be right there
Just look inside your heart

I want you to know how proud I am
Of just you have become
Of the choices you made, the person you are
And the life you have begun

And know that you’re not just my child
You are also my best friend
A love and friendship so very strong
That even life could never end

Make a Comment

Make A Comment: ( 4 so far )

4 Responses to “Farewell to a great lady-my mom”

Comments RSS Feed

Where's The Comment Form?