return to letters back to home
|
Rachel Stern Wolff |
|
As read by Gabe at the funeral...
Every
time Jascha and I would end a phone conversation, he would say,
"Bye Ray, I love you." I would then tell him that I
loved him too. Recently, when he called, we had a few friends
over. When I hung up the phone, my friend turned to my husband
and said, "Does it bother you that your wife says 'I Love You' to
another man?" My husband replied, "No way, it's
Jascha." For some reason, that's how everything was with
him. Jascha had his own set of rules.
Jascha
and I were friends since elementary school. Although our lives
kept changing throughout the years, his devotion to our friendship
remained constant. I'll never forget my sophomore year in
college when Jascha called to tell me about his upcoming trip to
Mexico for winter break. He said that this meant he would also
be gone over my birthday. Of course, I didn't care, but he
promised to come up and take me out when he returned. Well, the
day of my birthday arrived and I went outside to find a Fed Ex package
marked from Cancun. Jascha still came up to see me when he
returned anyway.
Jascha's
devotion to his friends is only one of the many qualities that made
him so special. Jascha knew how to enjoy life like none other
and helped everyone around him to enjoy it more too. His
carefree spirit and boundless energy made everyone love him instantly.
He would never miss an occasion to get together. Anytime I would
call him and say, "I was thinking about going someplace",
whether it be out for a drink or a weekend in New York, he would
always say, "I'm in, tell me when and I'll be there."
And he always was.
I'll
never forget the incredible times we spent together......
*
Our conversations when we were younger about our futures.
*
Endless advice back and forth about dating.
*
Skipping class to go home and play ping-pong.
*
Cleaning his room in college.
*
Shopping in every store until he found the perfect pair of shoes.
*
Selecting the next restaurant to eat it, and then listening to every
detail of his prior meal while we were there.
*
Listening to him complain about the Pittsburgh Steelers.
*
Seeing him, the only male bridesmaid, smiling at me from the Bema at
my wedding.
*
Most importantly, the countless hours we spent together laughing -- no
one could make me laugh like he did.
Although
I am going to miss my friend more than he'll ever know, I'm so
grateful for all those memories that I have. I know that in the
future, all I'll have to do is think of him and I'll laugh.
Goodbye
Jascha, I Love You too.
|
Rachel Stern Wolff |
