Most Important Person In My Life.

Most Important Person In My Life

By Sherri Rabinowitz

In 2007 the most important, the most inspiring man I have ever met was taken
from me. My Dad died unexpectedly from a heart condition that he was suppose to
recover from in five days. My Dad was so amazing. He had read so many books all
his life that I can’t ever match what he read. He was a High School graduate
from Brooklyn who was elegant and highly intelligent. He was wise, kind and
extremely funny. Everyone respected and loved him.

He took such very good care of us, yes I was very spoiled. If I was sick after I
moved out he would do my grocery shopping. I was very sick with the flu once,
Dad turned up with chicken soup. He saw how small my TV was and the next day he
and My Mom turned up with a new TV. He guided me with both my profession and my
vocation. He helped formed most of my political views though later I found my
own way in all of this, and my Dad was my wisest adviser.

Yet, when he got sick I took on the responsibility to help with all the nonsense
one has to put up with when dealing with our current healthcare system. I fought
for him as much as I could to get him the best care that I personally could get
for him. I yelled and screamed from time to time because of my outrage at his
treatment at different times both in the hospital and at the skilled nursing
facility later on. My Dad couldn’t speak so he pantomimed that I was his little
fighter. Which was very sweet but I still felt that I had not done enough.

I was the one who found out he was gone, I had to tell my Mother. It was the
hardest call I ever made. My hands were shaking as I pushed the buttons on the
phone to tell her. I helped my Mom plan out the funeral. I have helped my Mom
ever since but I wonder sometimes If I did enough. Both my Mom and Brother said
I did but I couldn’t help thinking if I was stronger I could have gotten him
through it and he would still be here.

I had a horrible writers block after Dad passed away. I had never had it before
in my life but this time I couldn’t shake it. I wrote a poem after he died and
that was really the last original thing I wrote for almost a year. My Mom and
Brother both told me separately and together that I should write. That Daddy
would kick my butt for not doing it. That he was so proud of me for writing and
for doing it very well.

Finally I broke through and started to write short stories again in fan fiction
about Remington Steele. I finally wrote my second book that I never thought I
would write. I did it though and I dedicated it to my Dad. He is still a very
important person in my life. He guides me through his words that he taught my
brother and I all our lives. I miss him everyday but he is still with me.
I relied on him for so much, any question I had he had the answer for it. He
inspired me to love reading and encouraged me to write. He was so proud of me
for writing my first book, and was my personal unpaid PR person. I really did
not think I could function without him. I never thought he would leave me so
early so when he did, it was overwhelming.

Now I am a functioning, independent adult but I still stop and think, “What
would my Dad do?” or “Dad, what would think of all this?” I know he would have
been so excited about Obama being elected President because Dad was a true
liberal and not ashamed of it. When he was sick in the skilled nursing facility
we came in one day and he had the paper on his lap with the announcement of
Hillary Clinton announcing she was running for President. He was excitedly
pointing it out to us. We told him the Barack Obama was running too. He smiled,
He was happy either way he wanted a Democrat. He was showing us the way even
then, it was about week before he left us.

I went every year to a Xena Convention in Los Angeles but hesitated to go
because of Dad. I talked to him about it about a week before the convention and
he said I should go. The four of us discussed it before the con and I decided I
would go but keep in touch by phone. I went and had a great time. I had my first
signing for my first book. I met with other writer and fans at big dinner. I saw
Lucy Lawless live both on the stage at the con and at a concert. I had a great
time.

I told Dad all about it and he smiled. I wore the t-shirt and he gave me the
thumbs up…the next day he passed away. It was a bitter sweet memory. I got to do
something I really loved and then tell Dad about it but I felt guilty for
missing that weekend with him. Of course he would have wanted to kick me in the
butt (metaphorically) for even thinking that way.

He also predicted the economic crisis we are in about five years before it
happened. He always said that the way real estate kept sky rocketing that it
will build up and up till boom! It exploded. He said nothing goes up with out
coming down and our government better prepare for the fall. The people in
finance he talked to said he was simplifying it. Simple or not, he was right.

Dad was a big reader and loved to talk about books. He was soooo enthusiastic
about that. He would tell a whole book while driving to work or to the store.
That includes my first novel, he would excitedly tell the story. My Mom would
gently elbow him saying that they might want to buy the book to read the story
themselves. Dad would just laugh and say they were interested in hearing about
it.

He was the most amazing Dad and way before his time in his attitudes. He would
come home from work and help us with our home work, eat dinner with us and then
put us to bed. Then he would kiss my Mom and go back to work. Dad never missed a
play or concert I was in. He never missed one of my brother Dave’s football
games. Dad took us to every club meeting. He took me to see my first acting
agent, and every audition because he didn’t want me to go by myself. He didn’t
want me to ever have to face the casting couch and I didn’t. He was always
supportive of me in what ever vocation I was pursuing whether it was acting or
writing. He was always in our corner.

He was the most amazing person I have ever known and I miss him everyday.