The Cycle of Life

My father passed away in October 2006, 5 months before Adam was born. He was very sick with pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal lung disease, for the past few years. He stayed strong and fought the disease until he could no longer. We had a lot of wonderful talks in the hospital regarding his illness and my pregnancy... the sad irony that his life would soon be ending and his grandchild's life would soon be beginning. My dad believed in the "cycle of life" and was so happy that his legacy would live on in his soon-to-be-born grandchild. He predicted that his grandchild (his first!) would be a boy and that "he would be fine" when I told him that I was scared of problems.

It breaks my heart that my dad will never see Adam (his predictions were right -- they always were)... oh, would he have LOVED him!!! Adam is named after him (his Hebrew name and English middle name). My mom and I definitely see traces of my dad in Adam... in his smile, intelligence and in his little silly ways. Adam was born at the same hospital that my dad passed away in. I saw my father take his last breath there and my son take his first. Not a day goes by that I do not think of him and see parts of him living on in Adam.