Listen In...a loving conversation

Dear Friends and Family, This will be the last blog that my editor will be including in the book.  We are meeting tomorrow and we continue to hope that we will give this to a publisher this fall. Thanks for your support and "walking through the valley of the shadow of death" with me throughout the past 16 plus months.  I miss Sue every minute and writing these blogs has helped me in ways I could have never known. I will let you know as we progress toward publication of the blogs. With gratitude and appreciation, Rabbi Bruce Dear Sue, So, my second summer of travel has reached a conclusion.  You promised me that summers were for travel and I certainly  have taken advantage of this with lots of trips, primarily to see or be with family and the rest to be with friends.  I miss you so much but you are with me in my  heart wherever I am (even baseball games:-)) I sometimes wonder how you would feel about all my travel and remember how you told me with  your Sue smile that you  didn't wish for more travel at your birthday party with your brother and part of his family.  Everyone with whom I speak tells me that you  would be upset if I wasn't traveling and I am starting to believe them.  I do miss you  so very  much and am doing everything I can to tell stories about you and us.  You probably would not be happy that I am sharing certain things but I keep secretly hoping that if you are upset with me enough, you  will come back and visit.  In fact, one of the many gifts you are giving me is the ability to find joy even in the midst of sadness. Your cockeyed optimism is part of your legacy when I am able to be joyful with our children and grandchildren.  I cannot be the  Savta (Grandma) you were because you were  amazing but I can be the best Grandpa Bruce I can be and I hope I am doing that. I gave a presentation yesterday to a group of senior citizens for Shabbat (you appreciated that I did this in honor of my  mom and grandmas who were in old age homes)  about finding joy even when one is not happy.  You have taught me to be joyful and I think I give meaning to your life when I create joy  for others.  This doesn't come easy for me but I try to  channel your kindness, joy, and love and think I am honoring you with the love I am trying to share with others. I have come to believe that there are no coincidences and as I drove to lead services yesterday, the Beatles' song that I quoted at your memorial service came on the satellite radio. The Beatles - Hello, Goodbye (Lyrics) YouTube · ProudLyrics8465.5K+ views · 3 years ago 3:32 (please put into your browser and see the lyrics below) The words to the song reminded me that we never said goodbye given the suddenness of what happened, but that every morning you would say hello and "what can I getcha?"  Your hellos  have given me  the strength to continue to make my life a blessing, Sue.  There are so many times and ways that you said hello hello to hope and positivity and I am trying to  emulate your joy  in living.  I hope that those listening in our conversation will look at the lyrics below and realize that you were always so cheerful when I was not.  You always looked high, even when I was low and  helped me say hello hello to be able to  pursue my dreams. As we approach the new year, Susie, I am trying to live the words from the Psalm that say this is the day the Lord has made, and  on it we should rejoice and  be happy.  I am not happy, Sue, because I will ALWAYS  miss  you but I am  trying to find joy.  We truly were blessed  as we  often said, "we should be joyful because of how goodly is our lot." I want to conclude my note to you by saying that when I was in SF, our dear friends took me to the ocean where you and I walked and listened to the waves.  Do  you  remember you  told me that the waves were talking to me and that they were saying I love you, I love  you. Well there is something which you  probably are aware of and that those reading this can learn about by clicking on this link.  https://www.oceancallingsf.com/ (please put this into your browser) I picked up the phone and tried to call  you  with the hope that the ocean would deliver my message.  I found myself emotionally unable to say anything and overcome with intense feelings for how much I missed you.  Finally, through the lump in my throat and the tears in my eyes I searched my heart and said what you wished I said to you more often when we were together for our 25th anniversary.  I hope the ocean carried the message to  you because all I could say was: "I love you!" Happy New Year, Snoozie.  I love you so very much and look forward to a year of making new memories and treasuring ALL the memories we shared. Shanah tovah u'metukah, may  it be a sweet new year for you wherever you  are and for all of us.. With all the love in my heart, Bruce Dear Bruce, I read your note and you still don't have an off button:-)  This is what I want to "getcha" in the new year.  I want to getcha peace and the realization that we had wonderful times together throughout the challenging moments and celebrating the wonderful moments.  We did have some tough innings occasionally and I know you continue to feel guilty about those..  We were both stubborn and argued about insignificant things (do you  still click hard candy in your teeth, chew with your mouth open, leave water all over the counter, and not completely clean dishes completely:-))  .  But, Bruce, we won the game of marriage and were World Champions even though there were tough innings now and then.  We shared over 50  seasons of joy  and PLEASE THINK ABOUT THOSE! Please please please remember the wonderful moments and build on them. When you do that and not when you worry about whether you should be joyful or when  you beat yourself up about what ifs, or when you dwell on the tough innings , is when you honor me the most. I hope that ALL those who are supporting you will convince you that I am happiest when you are happy, Bruce. May the new year bring you that happiness.  If you  continue to share joy with others I will be fine and we will always be together in our hearts. By the way, I heard you across the ocean and I have heard you  every day since April 2, 2025 when I went into surgery....I know you love and loved me and your words by the ocean recently reached my  heart although every day in your own way you  touch  and touched my  heart. So, please remember three things, Bruce...first, Aaron does get the baseball cards if something happens to you as I told you that he should get them if something happened to me on my  way  into the operating room.  And secondly, Bruce, no matter what...I am NOT sorry I told you  no to tickling my feet as I went into the OR:-)  And thirdly, I remember that as I went into the OR and the OR staff said kissie kissie, your light and gentle kiss sealed our love for eternity although over the 50 years of being engaged to you, you inspired me to love you  more and more each day.  One of our children is right when they said I told them I loved you more each day that we were together.    And...as they also said when you all celebrated my life ( by the way, it was embarrassing :-)...you were right that I would have wanted to leave...too many nice things that if people really knew me, they  wouldn't have said????), please give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Remember that, okay????? Did I tell you this yet?  Listen to the waves next time you are by a lake or the ocean.  I love you, I love you, I love you.. Shanah tovah u'metukah, Bruce.  Let it be a year of happiness, joy, and sweetness and give everyone in our family (especially the grandkids), all our friends, and all the people  supporting  you a big hug from me.  And please finally tell our children they  were all my favorites:-) I love you, Snoozie Hello, GoodbyeRelease date: 24 November 1967 You say yes, I say no, You say stop, and I say go, go, go, Oh no. You say goodbye and I say hello, hello, hello, I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello, hello, hello, I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello.I say high, you say low, You say why, and I say I don't know. Oh no. You say goodbye and I say hello, hello, hello. I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello, hello, hello, I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello.Why, why, why, why, why, why, Do you say goodbye. Oh no. You say goodbye and I say hello, hello, hello. I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello, hello, hello, I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello.You say yes, I say no, You say stop and I say go, go, go. Oh, oh no. You say goodbye and I say hello, hello, hello. I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello, hello, hello, I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello, hello, hello, I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello, hello, hello,