Avigail took the plunge into marriage, and we are so proud of her! My walk down the aisle with Avigail by my side was a visceral reminder of the days when she was by my side in another place and another time. Let me share the story with you.
A few years ago, I was in isolation in the hospital. Avigail decided I needed a babysitter, and volunteered for the job. I begged her not to come, but to no avail. I didn’t want to be a burden, and I didn’t want to expose her to the goings-on in a hospital ward. But she would hear none of my objections, and I conceded in defeat.
Early in the morning, she took the train from Brooklyn to Manhattan to assume her vigil. As she made her way to my room, she greeted the staff and the patients as though they were her best friends. They would all come over to tell me what a precious daughter I had. She stayed the entire day, leaving late at night.
Avigail was constantly in my hospital room, sitting on an uncomfortable chair all day. I wondered if all the hospitals in the world got their furniture from the same source, since they were always so uncomfortable. Mi casa, su casa, and I contemplated hauling in my own furniture from my house to make it a bit easier on her. She didn’t mind though. Nothing bothered her.
If I rustled the bed, my daughter’s head popped up from the book she was immersed in, as she asked with concern if everything was okay. There was never a grimace. She was always happy to be there. She exuded a gentleness and fierce devotion, which touched and inspired me.
Avigail was my rock, so poised and caring. A delicate beauty in her face radiated from within, and her resolute stance signaled her willingness to play an uncompromising role in my road to recovery. She played to own set of moral convictions she established for herself.
Avigail’s tenacity and resiliency never ceased to amaze me, and I wished I were more like her. She was the most patient person in the world! She was 17 and such an adult. I don’t know how I would have managed without her. I couldn’t have found a more suitable person for the job, and I am forever grateful. Her altruism and unbridled love and devotion will sustain me forever. My heart brims with appreciation when I think of what she went through on my behalf.
When life seems like a blizzard and the road seems long and hard, you need someone to keep you strong, soften the blow, and weather the storm with you. Avigail was that person and Hashem rewarded her beautifully – with Akiva, to glory in their new life together!
May Hashembless them to be with each other for long healthy lives, as my daughter stood beside me when I needed her the most.
