El Moi

it is rather deceiving how scheming and elusive life can be at times. One moment you can be enjoying a dark, soothing refreshing brew and the next you can be lying on an ICU fighting for your life. About two months ago, my great uncle on my mom's side moishe, or how I like to call him, El Moi, was diagnosed with lung cancer. To the majority of my family it came in shock, but for me it was almost expected. The man smoked his first cigarette at the age of 12 and has been an avid smoker ever since. He has never been a man who concerns himself with risks and negativity so its no coincidence that he has always been very oblivious about most things. What can I say? It was only a matter of time. The man was burdened but refused to relinquish his fight to live so much to the encouragement of the family he began taking Tarceba, an orally induced chemotheraputic pill, two weeks following his diagnosis.

December rolls around and the month of therapy ends at about the time that I am departing for my trip. On December 13th, I call home from new york to check in and find out with amazement that el moi's cancer disappeared and that my family was once again calm and relieved so i left to Israel with no worries. Through the next three weeks I concentrated only on my trip... I went to the wall in Jerusalem and I thanked G-d for his recovery... I only called home all but a couple of times. When I returned on the eve of the new year, I was welcomed with the unfortunate news that El moi had passed away while I was gone...Shocked, I still am. It happend Dec. 19th, he went peacefully...thats all that matters to me.

He wasnt just my uncle, he wasnt just family, he was my friend. He was possibly the youngest 79-year old in this world. He never invisioned himself as being old, only "un poquo grande" - al little old. He would hit on my friends, which was hilarious, all in good fun of course. He loved boxing and wrestling, sexual induendos, and drinking coffee. He smoked like a man possessed but he was always strong as an ox. El Moi always lived by his own rules... once even stepped into a boxing ring in front of 2,000 people and fought a guy after his opponent failed to show up. The newspapers and his friends called him "El Kid Moi" from then on. He never married because he lived for the thrill of life. He was never tied down in one place until he grew too old to care for himself. He listened to his loved ones but he never let anyone tell him what to do. He was careless and arrogant, charming and witty, funny and charismatic. He did a lot of stupid shit all throughout his life but he was a good man who loved and appreciated life and family. He lived life to the fullest and he never regretted many things about it. He's in a better place now... probably charming marilyn monroe as we speak. You will be missed Moicas.