Story of the cross in my father’s church
Christianity has a long history in Poland. In the 900s, we had no country – just a bunch of Slavic tribes. The ruler of one of them, Mieszko, had big ambitions, which fortunately were backed by the political and military skills. Having unification on his mind, Mieszko I, with substantial help from his wife, a […]
Trip to Europe and How to Finance Your Education
A couple of months ago, Bonnie and I came back from an exhausting trip to the continent where I spent the first thirty years of my life. Four countries, countless cities and many sleepless nights. But we wouldn’t put a price, monetary and otherwise, on all the memories we’ve got. There is a village in […]
How to Treat Tree Wounds
Our lot in Briar Chapel was covered with trees. The battle with builders was tough, but we were able to spare ten decent, tall trees. I had to almost throw myself in the path of their bulldozer… (just kidding, we could negotiate and put ribbons on a few trees). But now, a year later, I […]
Courage and the Price of Integrity
It was 1942, three years after the German invasion of Poland. In the village of Rekowka, 90 miles south of Warsaw, German troops appeared in a house occupied by two families, Skoczylas and Kosiorow. Apparently acting on a tip, they were looking for Jews. Indeed, there were six Jewish people being sheltered by the Poles […]
Saying Goodbye to the Father
The surgery was long and complicated. Then Dr. Murano had to take the patient back to the OR for bleeding. It was well after midnight when he got home. The ICU nurse kept calling him with the updates, and it didn’t sound like his patient was stable. Blood pressure was low, the heart didn’t beat […]
Walking a Fine Line with the Patient’s Family Before Surgery
Dr. Jack Murano was sitting in his office with the patient’s family in front of him. Their father was in the ICU awaiting a complex heart operation. The older man’s heart was not good, and his cardiologists couldn’t do much more for him. Heart surgery was his last resort, and Jack was willing to do […]
What’s Your Biggest Life Achievement?
The flight was early in the morning, but I had zone 1 for boarding. The cabin seemed empty, but on the way to my seat, I noticed her sitting next to mine. She was elderly (wasn’t she my age?) and with a perpetual smile on her face, she reminded me of my mother. While it […]
Motherhood Is The Most Important Job on Earth
If evolution really works, how come mothers have only two hands? Milton Berle In motherhood, pay is lousy, if you are talking of monetary things. But payoff is priceless in so many other things. Roxane Henke God could not be everywhere, so He created mothers Jewish proverb I was recently thinking of people from my […]
Living in New York or a Panegyric on My Daughter
If you can make it there… Fred Ebb Heralded as the capital of the world. The biggest port of entry for immigrants to the United States. I know, forty years ago, I flew to New York on a big Pan Am 747 sitting next to a catholic nun. It was foggy and we couldn’t land. […]
