The Boob

You are smiling. Funny title to this post, I know. THE BOOB. I thought I would crack a smile right off the top since the whole point of this post is not to be funny - but certainly to be celebratory...

You see - The Boob is the nickname affectionately given by my father to my Buba Pearl. Buba Pearl is my Mom's mother. She's been here in New Jersey since my wedding in April of 1998. For the first 5 years, she lived in my old bedroom at my Mom's house. She moved into the Jewish Geriatric Home a few years back because she needed full-time care. Two days ago, Buba Pearl passed away. She was only 99 years old.

My earliest memory of Buba was in 1976. We went to visit her home in Bogota, Colombia. I went for a walk with her to the market to pick up dinner. There was a man selling chickens...LIVE chickens were running all over the place and Buba pointed to one. The man picked it up, broke it's neck, and stuffed the bird in a bloody paper bag. Four hours later, we were eating the most delicious chicken soup ever made. Nobody stepped foot in the kitchen that afternoon. It was Buba and the bird. Magic.

In 1982, we got to visit Colombia once again and I remember Buba being so happy with my Grandpa Isaac. He was sick and died a few years later. Poor Buba had lost her THIRD husband. So much tragedy. Buba marched on, however, and seemed to get stronger and wiser as the years past on. Cousin Luis was born in 1985 and Buba was there to help take care of him until she came here in 1998. More than just a great-grandmother to him.

Shortly after Buba came here, her great-granddaughter had a baby of her own, making Buba a great-great grandmother. The only one I've ever known.

For the past few years, Buba has lived just a few miles away at the Geriatric Home and Mom has gone waaaay beyond what most people would do in taking care of her. Virtually Mom's whole world outside of her grandchildren has been Buba. There's no possible way Buba would have made it this far without Mom. She should be proud.

Mom had a BBQ at her house scheduled for Sunday and decided to let it go on, even though it was scheduled to begin just six hours after she found out about her Mom. What a great and courageous decision! Some of the most important people in Mom's life were at her house by 1:00 and it was a very therapeutic and important day for her. It was a celebration of life and that's the best way to pay tribute to Buba.

So tomorrow is Buba's funeral. I am sure it will be a tough day for Mom but Raquel is coming in with Cynthia and we will all be there for her.

THE BOOB will be missed by all....I'll post more after the funeral tomorrow.