Counting on friends, when distance is a factor

My grandmothers, larga vida tengan, are two of my greatest inspirations and role models today. Each of their life stories and values have made of me, and of my passions, what I am today... Simi Levy de Akinin and Lucy Garzón de Benarroch; two of the most beautiful, intelligent, traditional, creative and unique women on earth.

Today, March 3rd is Simi's birthday. Mi Abuela, with whom I often talk, lives in Venezuela, away from most of the family (the majority of which resides in Miami, Florida). In less than a few hours, I managed to get two of my best friends in Venezuela, Moises Benzaquen and Kevin Hassan, to go buy some of the most beautiful flowers they could find, and personally deliver them to her in celebration of her 88th birthday! They did it, and in style. It's incredible, how despite distance and time past, our friendship was enough of a reason for them to lighten my grandmother's day...

I don't know many people who have the luck to have grandmothers like mine, but much less friends like them, who selflessly did not only an amazing kavod to our friendship, but a mitzvah in honoring my grandmother.

Recognizing that my life flipped 180 degrees after moving to America in 2003, not only did I gain a different and dependent perspective of family ties and unity, but I matured in a way that I wish I would have done in earlier years.

I sought to learn more about my origins, my ancestors- their traditions, careers, lifestyles, values... My grandfather, David Akinin Serfaty, had passed away a few months after my barmitzvah, a little over a month before we moved to the States. The amount of questions I would have asked him, conversations I dream of having years after his passing, saddened me, and made me realize how lucky others are who have the opportunity to, at my age, enjoy first-hand the memories and sage of their grandfathers. My other grandfather, Abraham Benarroch Bentata, with whom I had the opportunity to share a lot more, passed away in the summer of 2008, right before I moved away to Chicago in pursuit of a college education. Nevertheless, I still dream and have thirst for time, time lost and past, to learn more and share with him...

I don't know if I'm doing a good job, but I seek to learn and stay connected with my grandmothers every day... every day more. There's so much I want to know and share; I fear I'll have the same feeling of "I should have asked more" one day.