Saturday, May 16, 2009

A special anniversary card

I’ve mentioned that the one year anniversary of my transplant was this past Wednesday. Even though she was out of town Harriet managed to surprise me with a delightful Elmo card. But that wasn’t the only card I received. Someone else surprised me too: Noah, one of my three children from my first marriage.

 

Noah had a good reason to remember the date of my transplant. He and his lady, Victoria, were visiting us from Michigan when I got THE CALL. I vaguely recall apologizing for disrupting their vacation when they visited me once I got out of ICU. I think everyone laughed.

 

But it was something else he remembered, something he wrote in the Happy Birthday card he sent, that had me choking back tears. You see, Noah was born on the day before my father died of lung cancer. Happily, I was able to tell my father that he had a new grandchild and see him smile before he was gone. That experience inspired me to write the lyrics for a song which was later recorded by Lannie Kazan and included in a record album and television special celebrating the 25th anniversary of UNICEF in Australia.

 

On the inside of the card he sent, Noah wrote that song’s title, substituting my name for his. “Halleluiah! Larry is born among us again.”

 

I love you, Noah.

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