My Tribute to My Wonderful Parents


Jannette Brody - My Mom


There was no one else
Who gave better care
To her husband and kids---
She did more than her share.

When it was time for the family
To pack and go west,
It was Jannette who could drive.
So she did her best.

Through the perilous deserts
And the mountains so high
She was scared and she prayed.
But we never saw her cry.

Across the country she drove,
More than three thousand miles.
When we finally arrived,
We were all filled with smiles.

There were lots of hard times,
Some especially rough.
She helped us get through them---
That lady was tough!

She worked at the laundromat
Then came home and worked more.
She did jobs at Diners' Club
That she'd never done before.

"Hon, I need apples, and carrots,
And more tuna fish."
To make a go of the snack bar
Was more than a wish.

Though she helped so much
To eke out a living.
She kept enough time
To do lots of giving.

There were organizations
Which to her were so dear.
She worked for each one
For many a year.

She had wonderful friends
And the day never came
That she was "too busy" for them---
And for her, they were the same.

There were UNDERSTANDABLY times
When my mother got mad.
When she actually thought
One of US had been bad.

"Dave, change your routine!"
"Larry, you're not ALWAYS right!"
"Helaine, clean your room!"
"Errol, drive carefully tonight!"

She made two Bar mitzvahs
That were as nice as could be.
Larry got married.
Then, it was time for me.

She planned my whole wedding,
Then we looked for my gown.
We shopped till we dropped
All over this town.

When we got home,
My mom said to me,
"I'll make you a gown.
Just wait and see!"

I said "Don't waste your time,
Because I really couldn't bear it.
If the gown isn't PERFECT,
I couldn't possibly wear it."

When I said "I do"
In my white gown gleaming.
I was SO PROUD of my mom
And she was just BEAMING.

My mom always accomplished
What she set her mind to---
Whether fixing something old
Or creating something new.

When her three kids
Were already grown,
Along came three more---
Each loved like her own.

Between them they had
Three girls and two boys.
Jannette loved her grandchildren
More than the kids loved their toys.

As all of her children
And grandchildren grew,
She was prouder of them
Then anyone knew.

She loved her father,
Her sister and brother.
No daughter EVER did more
Than she did for her mother.

Jannette loved her Dave
For over 50 years---
Through all of the good times,
Through all of the tears.

Together they showed us
What love and marriage should be.
I hope their example rubs off
On my brothers and me.

Now it is time
To say good-bye to Jannette---
Such a wonderful lady---
One we'll never forget.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Mum, I love you more!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
When finally, I had written my thoughts down, and recorded it in my voice so it 
would be ready when that day came, only then could I get a little sleep some nights.



 
 

David Brody - My Dad


Growing up, we always knew
My father did what he had to do
To take care of his family
Mum, Larry, Errol and me
Even though, it was hard for him to see.

When the furniture business fell apart,
We packed up everything to depart
For California, "the land of gold".
The decision to move was very bold.

My dad found a job at a furniture store,
Because there wasn't a job that he knew more.
It didn't work out with his impaired sight
Though he tried really hard, with all of his might.

And so it was, for my dad and his wife,
A new business venture; a new way of life.
They got the laundromat and worked hard all day,
But in the end it did not really pay.

So again my dad went into something new.
The food service business is what he would do.
After a lot of hard work, studying and learning
He got his new snack bar and started earning.

When five years ago my mom passed away
He said "It wasn't supposed to happen this way.
I was supposed to go first because she was so strong. 
This wasn't the way.  It's really all wrong."

But in a short while, he learned to cook meals,
To clean, do the laundry and get good coupon deals.
He took the bus all over the place.
It always took hours, but he was in no race.

It was mom who had always dealt with the bills
And reminded my dad to take all of his pills.
But when push came to shove and he was alone,
He handled these things all on his own.

There were many a time when Dad wanted out.
He missed his wife so, without a doubt.
But he knew he had to do his best
For Larry, Errol, and me and the rest.

There's his oldest son, Larry, the DMV man.
His wife, Elesa, always helping any way that she can.
Stephanie and Mark, each with BA degrees
Made going to college seem like a breeze.

Then there comes me, his middle and best,
You can hardly compare me to all of the rest.
When Dad needed a ride to do his shopping
Geoffrey or Lenny "volunteered",
And Dad kept them hopping.
And then there is Sandi, our own Alpha Phi,
the four of us make up the second family.

Errol is third, but he lives far away.
When he called up his dad, his dad would say,
"Errol, I've got a list with lots for you to do,
It would be nice if Lois and Kari came along too."
So the three of them took the hours long trek,
went home two days later with Errol a wreck.

Dad was so proud of his kids and grandchildren too,
But we were prouder of him than he ever knew.
He taught us to strive for the best we could do.
Please always remember . . . "Dad, we love you!"
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We were so proud of our father.  After Mum, passed away, he learned to do so many things he had never done before.  I marked his washer and dryer so he could see where to set the dials.  He started doing all the laundry.  He wouldn't use the oven, but he learned how to cook all kinds of new food, including chicken soup and matzo balls!  Yep, we were really proud of Dad, till the end, and always . . . .