“As long as I remember, you are alive.”
My friend, Alex Vinokurov, passed away on January 6th. He was only 10 years junior to me, but he called me “Papa”.
At least once a month, he would call and ask, “Do you have time?”
He expected the same answer I always gave him, “For you, I always have time.”
He would come to our office and ask my wife, “Where is Papa?”
We would go to the local Starbucks and for an hour, he would share his joys, pour out his prayers, and ask me for advice.
He was a big, burly man with a gentle soul. During his short-lived disease, he “finally” managed to lose weight. But before dying, he started to sweat, water left his body, and by the time he passed on, his body shrunk.
“Shurick”, as I lovingly called him, was not with us anymore. Or was he?
Physically, he was not (at least not in this world). In my memory, he is alive. We are the sum of our memories. We choose what to remember and what to forget.
During our life journey, we meet a lot of strangers and we get close with some of them. I am privileged to work with and mentor younger people. After a while, some move away. There are those who follow my guidance, but most have to create their own life experience. Some, while physically still alive, disappear from our sight and I might never again hear from them. What is left is the memory.
Years ago, I made a decision that I have good memory—and I do. Especially when it comes to working with my clients. Somehow I remember the details of their mortgage transactions, which could have taken place 15 years ago. This good memory also helps me remember different loan options available to our clients. As a result, I can help find a mortgage solution tailored specifically to you.
P.S.
On my last trip to Cuba, I met a lot of young people. I do not know who mentors them, but I believe in their future and would like to share some of the images that I captured of them.
DO NOT KEEP ME AS A SECRET.
SMILE AND PLEASE SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND