Today is the birthday of one of the most important men in my life.  I am so lucky to have my brother, brother in law’s, son’s, nephew’s, and cousins, and of course my wonderful husband, but my father was the first.  He is the example of a real man in every way, including very handsome, which I am lucky he passed his good looks down to me and my children.  Before marriage and children he was a very accomplished engineer, and very handy fixing everything from radios to motorcyles to cars, and this was in the former Soviet Union.

He left everything behind to give his family a new life in America, and always let my brother and I have wings, we had no limits, most important to him was for us to do good in school.  I have always been a free spirit, but never forgot my roots of my family, or the roots of my ancestors thanks to my amazing parents.  I lived at home for a very long time, all of my friends used to sleep over because I had the least rules and super fun parents.  Then there was no reason to pay rent, I was going to college, and then even between travels, home was always home base.

I hope to carry on my upbringing with my own children, no limits, fly, but know that we will always be connected, supportive, and cheering them on.

Thank you my wonderful father,

In Russia he was Papa,

In America it’s Dad,

Now my children call him Dedushka,

They call their own father Abba,

I had to train them to call me EEMA, the hebrew word for mother, I would always correct mommy or mama,

Thank you my dear papachka,

I am so lucky to have you in my life,

Coach Yulichka