Happy Birthday Ira

Happy belated birthday, Ira. I MUST write about you on my blog, since you are central to my life, but it is pivotal I write about your essence-THINE BEFORE MINE. Ira, you have lived your life to the service of others. First of all, me, your wife. I never wanted to live in the suburbs, and explained to you I am not a driver and did not want to "shlep" the children places, and since I was with the children more, you agreed. You agreed to take the vacations I suggested; you opened yourself to the culture I introduced you to; you became a tireless and devoted Dad, one who probably put your children first and foremost. I would say your family came before your job, not that you were not dedicated as a physician. You have worked your whole life in an inner-city hospital, and though the work has been demanding and you certainly complained enough, you also worked in a dedicated fashion, and if someone did not have the money to pay you, it was irrelevant. You were never motivated by money. If you were, perhaps you would have voted for Trump, because your taxes would have been lower, and the cabinet choice for Health is Richard Price, a man who you abhor, but one who puts doctors and their purse strings first. Why? He is not there for the patients, but only the doctors. My guess is many mercenary doctors made another decision, but not you. You are a man with such a strong moral compass that you put me to shame. It is always thine before mine, and I can not say I am this way as strongly as you.

This is why I admire you. This is why I respect you. When you look up "mensch" in the dictionary, there you are. In fact, you have grown to be even more of a mensch over the years. You are appalled by the Trump presidency because of the man's total lack of a moral center.

Your moral center, Ira, is so superlative, that daily I count my blessings that I married you and managed to stay married all these years. I can only look forward to our bright future together, one that includes fighting the forces that try to make our world less moral. You are the meaning of the word "man."