Cherished Moments

My grandfather passed away a week ago. While it was hard to say goodbye, I spent four filled days with my family that made my heart feel so full. We shed tears together, and we also laughed and shared stories. 

On Friday night, Al and I drove to the suburbs after work. We greeted my parents and dogs and then drove to my grandparents' home where we spent time with my grandmother, my siblings, and my aunt and uncle and cousin from New Jersey. From there, we went to the Passover seder. This was the first time in my life that my New Jersey family was present, and it was a real treat to have them there. (See a detailed recap of a Passover seder here!)

On late Saturday morning, my mom, brother, and I went to the forest preserve by my parents' house and ran NINE miles. This was a milestone for me! (Appropriate wording, I know. ) I've never done more than eight miles. The best part was that I zoned out and didn't even pay attention to how fast or how far I was running. I've always dismissed the idea of having running partners, thinking it would be too hard to match our paces or that it would be distracting, but I changed my mind after this weekend. I loved having running company.

​Now, I'm thinking about signing up for the Soldier Field 10-Miler. Anybody want to join me?

After the run, my cousin Kailee went shopping with me while I looked for a dress to wear to the funeral. We spent the rest of the night at my parents' house with my brothers and their wives, my aunt and uncle, my cousins Kailee and Leia with her daughter Molly, my grandma, and my mom and dad. We tasted wine and ate appetizers and Italian food. 

And we played. We played Hike & Seek and Tag. 

Then, we played Musical Chairs in the kitchen. 

Just like any day at my parents' house, dogs were present. 

Sunday was the longest day of them all, because it was the funeral and the shiva. We went to a beautiful service. All present grandchildren were pallbearers. After the service at the grave site, we went back to my grandma's house and stayed there for the rest of the day and night. Like other shivas, we ate and ate and greeted friends of my grandparents. Unlike other shivas, we only sat for one day. Others go on for days. 

We drank coffee and wine, peeled through family photos of my mom and uncle's childhood, played games with Molly, went on walks since it was like a beautiful summer day, and we bonded. Despite the sad situation that brought us together, it was a perfect family weekend. 

The rabbi  something beautiful during the ceremony (which I will paraphrase): It's not about the money and fame that we achieve in our lifetime. It's about the people we love and who love us back. This is so true. My grandfather was a quiet and often irritable man in his older age, but he loved us and we loved him as well. My brother Ben, who spoke at the ceremony, remarked on how my grandfather was very proud and stubborn but accepted help when he couldn't walk or move around by himself so that he could go to our birthday celebrations, family holidays, and weddings. He never missed anything if he could help it, because he wanted to be there with us. That's how I'm going to remember my grandfather. 

Before I end this, I want to capture the true spirit of Passover and share one of the best recipes out there: fried matzoh. The picture is from a few years ago and doesn't look very appetizing, but this stuff is amazing. Who needs regular French toast when you have this?

Here is there recipe!

Our family time spread into Monday afternoon, and with the funeral/shiva going late into Sunday (and after feeling so emotionally drained), I didn't post anything Monday. The bi-weekly posts will resume  next week!