Joe’s Death

Dear Helen,
 
I realize that a lot of time has passed, and I’m hoping that my words are well received. I felt a need to contact you and express my sincerest condolences for your loss of Joseph.
 
I only found out about his passing yesterday, and I was struck with a numbness that’s hard to describe. So far into his nineties, Joe was still one of the most fully-alive people I ever met, bounding with infectious energy, bubbling with optimism, burning with ambition. It was as if he spent the rest of his life trying to make up for lost years, the suffering both you and he had faced in the name of unspeakable atrocity. I learned a lot from him, not just his story, not just chess, not just a dedication to work, but the resounding, luminous beauty that emanates from a life well-lived.
 
You were, of course, the very heart of it. The two of you had survived, you found one another, and you built a bond of love, commitment and respect. From that bond, new life found its way back into the world, and generations since were able to flourish, those horrible events more and more a distant memory with every passing year. It would be safe to say that he was never happier anywhere than by your side, and I’m glad that the two of you had the opportunity to see the world together and enjoy all the wonders that life has to offer.
 
While he was satisfied by the joys of his retirement, his insatiable need to share his story became an overriding mission, and it was a noble one. The contribution the two of you had made by confronting your greatest fears and reliving your past was an absolute good. We read the history, we saw the movies, but I don’t think that there could be anything as poignant as simply standing in front of an audience and explaining to everyone, in painful detail, exactly what had happened and how it was overcome. You both put a human face to it and rendered your experiences unforgettable. The books were well written, and will remain a succinct and vivid testimony to anyone willing to expose themselves to the truth.
 
I do miss him, and that’s saying a lot. I’ve lost many clients and friends and family to death these last few years, and my heart is so filled with the living, it’s sometimes difficult to take the time to remember the departed. But Joe was an exceptional man, and his goal to reach as many people as possible, to somehow channel the lessons of the past to prevent the horrors of the future seemed to have exceeded his grasp by several decades. And maybe that was the point.
 
You are in my thoughts, Helen. You have both touched my life, and I am truly grateful for having met you. Should you ever need someone to talk to, or if I could help in any way, you can call me at any time.
 
And thank you.
 
 
Yours,