Hello dear friends,
Today I would like to share with you a very personal event that happened on Father’s Day 2018.
As most of you know, I live in Canada while my parents and siblings live in Israel. The distance has always been challenging and over the years we try to get together as often as we can.
The heart attack that visited me on January 2018 forever changed my life. It was a stark realization of how transient life is and provided a real perspective about what’s really important in life.
Recently I returned from a visit to my home country. This time around I went alone. It was a visit to connect with my family and friends and bring closure to several open ‘loops’ that accompanied me since childhood.
I came with an open heart, led by love, compassion and a new understanding of our human condition and experience. What happened there was beyond words can ever describe. It was transformational not just for myself but for every soul I was fortunate to touch and be touched by.
I’ll share more about this experience in future posts but today I’d like to share a profound realization of how we hold back from saying and sharing our feelings with those we love. I hope that by sharing my personal experience you may see a small reflection of yourself in it and find that love and compassion within you to share your love sooner than later.
As a parent, the possibility of outliving our children is unthinkable right? however, over the years with three near death experiences under my belt, this possibility became more real than ever.
Today I count my blessings for every day I get to spend on this planet and begin to comprehend the beautiful gift we all carry but seldom share openly.
The post below was initially meant to be shared privately with my father but as the words poured down to paper I felt compelled to share it with our community.
If you are a little bit like me, then there are times when we want to express our love and appreciation to those we love but we think it should be done on special occasions or in a ‘specific way’ and time passes by and it doesn’t happen.
Well, I must admit that I was there too many times where the words were on the tip of my tongue, but I just didn’t let them out… and for that reason I wanted to share with you my private love and appreciation to my father and mother and encourage you to let go of old stories, time gone by incidents, stubbornness, ego, shame and blame – just put them aside because it would be terrible to wait and find out you were too late…
My letter to my father and mother
Happy Father’s Day my dear Aba (dad in Hebrew), Moshe Avramov. I love you!
You are my greatest teacher, supporter and guide on so many levels that words can hardly convey.
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You show me by example what to do and what not do, how to approach life situations from different angles and have always accepted me for who I am.
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You and Ima (mom in Hebrew), Rita Avramov have taken the high road by not trying to impose on us children a path you thought was right for us, and instead allowed each of us to pursue our own with great support and love (even at times when it wasn’t easy to see us stumble and fall…)
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You always said that your role as parents is to care and protect us until we are able to live independently. Your job was to guide and provide us with tools, skills, life experiences and knowledge that will serve us as we grow up, and you have done an amazing job at that. We are honored and blessed to have you as our parents.
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Today as a father myself, I understand and appreciate the enormous role we have as parents and I love and adore you and Ima to the ends of the universe and back.
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Over the last decade you stood by my bed more times than any parent should experience, nursing me to health through near death experiences that almost ended my life. You answered those dreadful midnight calls informing you, mom and my siblings that I almost lost my life and within hours you boarded a plane to fly across the world to be by my side.
These times are forever etched in my heart and have shown me what’s real important in life
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Parenting is an art form we must learn as we go. It is life’s greatest canvas for self growth, reflection, love, patience and constant evolution and discovery.
So on this special day, I want to applaud all you fathers, mothers, step mothers, step fathers, LGBT couples, single moms and dads who chose to be parents this lifetime – there’s no other experience that can come close to it – you are amazing, don’t ever underestimate your incredible role on this planet.
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If there’s one thing that my near death experiences taught me is that you cannot take life for granted, every second counts and the only thing that really matters is love.
So spend time with your loved ones, make time to tell your parents, children, siblings and loved ones that you love them – don’t wait, Life is too short to regret what you wanted to do and didn’t…
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Although it doesn’t have to be only on special days like today, it is here so you might as well make the best of it:-)
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With love and gratitude for this incredible life journey
Your ever well wisher
Erez