Chapter # 6- Recommendation # 24- Respect the memory of the deceased by your words and by your actions

I have heard many stories of family members fighting over the estate of deceased loved ones. Many become enemies, because they allowed selfishness and greed to take over them, and they totally disregard the fact that they've lost someone dear to them. I recall a situation a good friend of mine experienced after his father passed away. My friend's dad had purchased several different life insurance policy where he named as beneficiaries my friend and his sister. Several weeks after his dad passed away him and his sister began taking care of their deceased dad's estate,and each of them received what they were entitled to from the respective insurance policies. However, there was one more policy where him and his sister were entitled to but his sister decided not to let him know about it and she received the entire benefit and did not inform him of it. He became aware of the situation and immediately got into an argument with his sister over this money. The moral of the story, greed took over both of them, and they totally lost focus of what was really important, keeping the memory of their father alive who had recently passed away. We must honor and respect the memory of the loved ones that depart from us, most importantly if it is our parents. I truly hope that my bothers, sister and I know how to deal and handle matters impartially in regards to our parent's estates whenever that moment approaches. I'd like to believe that we will conduct ourselves with respect, love and affection among each other without permitting any feelings of greediness and selfishness to ruin the wonderful values our parents inculcated in us.

Chapter 5- Recommendation #23- Recognize the bottom line-both the pain and the sense of helplessness

Certainly, the dying process can be extremely difficult for both parties the terminally ill loved one and the family members. I have not experienced the death of a parent but I know it will be something I will have to face because death is something inevitable and each one of us is destined to encounter it one day or another. Although it is best to make the person feel as comfortable as possible, how can it be done? How do you make someone feel better when they can see you as a person that's full of life and energy meanwhile they are slowly dying? I would have to ask God to provide me with the strength to cope with the feelings of impotence of knowing that my loved one is slowly deteriorating right before my eyes and there's nothing I can do to stop that from happening. No matter how much medication you can prescribe to someone that's terminally ill and in pain would ever be enough take away the feeling of knowing that their life and soul is gradually departing. Although in the back of my mind I know I will have to face the death of those that I hold dear to my heart one day, I prefer not to think about those sad moments at this present time.

Chapter 2-Recommendation # 3- Give your aging parent plenty of space

For me it is almost inevitable to think that I wouldn't do anything and everything to make things better for my parents once they reached an advanced age and can no longer do various things on their own. I can't imagine not wanting to protect them, and help them in order to make things easier for them. I know it could be hard on them not to give them the ability to feel independent but at the same I would like to provide them with care and protection as they grow older and very vulnerable. I envisioned my mother pretty much going through the same things the author's mom went through. I know she would be very temperamental, that is one quality about her that's impossible to hide. She's speaks what's on her mind and I can begin to think that as she grows older she won't have any issues letting anyone know how she feels, especially if they have done something to upset her. Although she is known to her friends and acquaintances as being a woman of strong character, and at times very opinionated, she's truly appreciated and respected by many people. I don't want to imagine right now, how would I offer closure to the many friends and acquaintances that have known her throughout the years, it is really hard to imagine that. My mother has always been very independent, therefore is going to be really hard on her to have to rely on others to do things that she once was able to do on her own. I would have to mentally and physically prepare myself for those moments because they will be extremely hard on her as well as those who will be close to her, like me.

Chapter1-Section 2- The Religious school classroom

Certainly, many of the things that we regret doing as we were young would one way or another end up being beneficial in the long run. Although, there are times when we want to be rebels and don't listen to what our parents wants us to learn and grasp, we have to admit the majority of times they are right, and they know best (most of the time, but not always, LOL). As much as the author disliked attending Jewish school and learning the language, it turn out to be of great help whenever he went of vacation with his wife and they could not find the hotel. Although, his knowledge of the Hebrew language was not proficient, he vaguely remembered the pronunciation of words,therefore enabling him to decipher the name of the place him and his wife were looking for. He acknowledged the fact that if it wasn't for his mother's strong influence on him learning his Jewish traditions, him and his wife would have never found their destination. As a parent, I can understand why his mother's constant emphasis on their Jewish tradition. I find myself doing the same thing with my 10 year old son. I would want my son to embrace his cultural heritage. Therefore, it is essential for him to learn about our family traditions, most importantly to practice the language.

Chapter 1- Introduction

I can almost sympathize with the author in regards to the emphasis his mother placed on religion and the importance of following the Jewish education. Although, as I was growing up we didn't have to attend so many days to religious school as the Jewish kids did, I was obligated to attend Catholic Mass every Sunday without any excuse. Catechism classes were absolutely mandatory as they were a prerequisite for the sacrament of First Communion, following Confirmation. I still have not fulfilled every sacrament mandated by the Catholic religion. In part, I have not been obligated to do so because my family migrated to the United States and we no longer have the influence my grandmother used to place on us in regards to religion. My grandmother is the most transcendental Catholic member I have ever met. We could not avoid Sunday service, unless we were absolutely dying (literally). She made sure everyone was up and ready to attend service with her every Sunday morning no matter what. My brother and I literally, dreaded the fact of going over her house every weekend because we knew how demanding she was in regards to religion. Unfortunately, we were kids and had no other choice but to abide by her rules and ideas. Like the author, as I grew older, I separated from the Catholic teachings, and began to look for another church. Now that I'm a parent, I haven't quite follow the same traditions that I was forced to abide as I was growing up. Although, I still consider some of the teachings I learned from the Catholic religion, and don't necessarily incorporated every single aspect of it. I baptized my son in the Catholic church but I have not considered for him to follow every sacrament mandated by church. At this present time, my mother has been pressing the issue about it, but I have been reluctant to accept her ideas. I truly respect her concerns and ideas, but I wouldn't necessarily follow or agree with everything she recommends. It can be really difficult at times to follow through with those things that were inculcated to someone as a child, specially if those were things that the person truly disliked.