Saturday, November 17, 2007

In Loving Memory of Sam


A wedding and a funeral, is the name of my weekend. One of my best friend, Silvia, is getting married and it should be fun. But Thursday one of my favorite people, Sam Goldfein died. I got to know Ann and Sam after I started to train Ann 2 years ago. Lately the training happened at her house, since I quit the club a few months ago, but it was also convenient because Sam was getting weaker and Ann wanted to stay around him. It was nice to see Sam's smile every day when I would go to their house.
Sam and Ann also asked Chris and I to care for their home every summer while they would be on vacation. And let me tell you, staying at their house is like being on vacation itself. For the passed 2 years we then lived in their house for the 2 months summer and enjoyed the large swimming pool, the barbecue, the view on the city on one side, on the mountains on the other, and the quietness.
Yesterday was his funeral, and you know how at funerals people say how great and nice the person was. Well yesterday, some people talked and reminded us how wonderful and how generous and nice and passionate Sam was, but this time everybody felt that it couldn't be more true. All the nice things that were said described Sam perfectly. Sam was a cardiologist and his passion and talk of interest was to tell us how everyone should have social security and universal medical care, that everyone deserves to be treated and be healthy. Not that many people think that way in America, or else we would have universal medical care (but we don't). For my part, the one thing I will remember and miss the most is the smile he had on his face when he opened the door for me. I could see it thru the little glass square in the door when he would turn the lock on the other side.
Sam was a good man and we are going to miss him.

Un marriage et un enterrement, c'est le nom de mon weekend. Une de mes meilleure copine, Silvia, se marie aujourd'hui avec Robin. Mais Jeudi une de mes personnes preferees, Sam Goldfein est decede. J'ai rencontre Ann et Sam quand Ann a decide d'avoir un coach personnel il y a 2 ans. Ces derniers temps je l'entrainais a domicile puisque j'ai demissione de mon club il y a quelques mois. De plus, c'etait plus pratique car Sam etait de plus en plus faible et Ann voulais rester pres de lui. Le sourire de sam va me manquer. Sam et Ann nous demandais a Chris et moi de rester dans leur maison tous les etes lorqsqu'ils partaient 2 mois en vacances. Et je vous assure que rester dans leur maison c'est comme des grandes vacances. Et Chris et moi avons bien profite de la grande piscine, du barbeque, de la vue sur toute la ville d'un cote et sur la montagne de l'autre, mais aussi de la tranquillite du quartier. L'enterrement etait hier. Vous savez aux enterrements comme il y a des gens qui parlent pour rapeler a tout le monde que la personne decedee etait une chouette personne blablabla et tout le monde a une larme a l'oeil. Oui mais hier quand les anciens amis ou membres de la familles ont parle de Sam pour nous rappeler sa bonte, sa generosite, sa gentillesse, sa passion pour l'autre, et sa determination de ne pas mourrir a 37 ans apres sa premiere crise cardiaque ni plus tard apres une deuxieme, ni apres son bipass il y a quelque temps mais plutot a 81 ans apres avoir complete une longue belle vie pleine de bonheur. Toutes les choses qui ont ete dites ne pouvaient pas etre plus vraies. Sam etait un cardiologue et il aimait nous rappeler que tout le monde devrait avoir droit a la securite sociale et aux soins medicaux universels. Pour ma part, chaque jour que je venais entrainer Ann chez eux, je sonnais a la porte et Sam venais ouvrir. Je pouvais voir son sourire sympa de l'autre cote de la petite vitre carree de la grande porte. Sam was a good man. Il va nous manquer.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Cecile, thank you for the sweet tribute to Dad (Sam). I know he was as fond of you as you were of him. You are so right that he was a very good man and is sorely missed. Also, thank you so much for being such a great friend to Mom (Ann). Sincerely, Rosa Linda