Miss You: A Gift From Mom

By Joel S. Levinson

One man's journey for understanding after the untimely passing of his mom from breast cancer.

---

There is no doubt that life is short.

The people that you expect to be there your entire life, especially the ones that raise you from an infant to an adult should always be around. They should have the opportunity to have the retirement life they dreamed of and to experience their grandchildren as adults. They should be having fun!

For mom, it wasn't to be. Cancer stole her away from her family at the young age of 66.

The pain and anguish of losing my only parent was almost unbearable. I needed to come to grips with not having her beautiful smile or contagious laugh nearby. I couldn't fulfill my childhood promise to "always take care of her." I was unable just to call her.

It took me two years of searching on how to say goodbye. And in that same time, I discovered seven special gifts that mom left me that allows me to keep her spirit alive in others.

Mom, I will always miss you, but now I understand that you are never really gone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joel S. Levinson
• Release date: Jan 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463422069

Joel S. Levinson

“Can’t is only true if you never take action to prove you can.”Joel S. Levinson knows what it’s like to walk to the abyss, get sucked in, make excuses, stare his future self in the eye, and pull himself back out. He knows the personal and professional pressures of being told he would certainly fail, and yet achieve success.Without succumbing to his critics and with great support from family and friends, he has gone on to author or co-author four books, create five entrepreneurial companies, and been president of multiple $100M business units in the Fortune 500. He earned his Masters from Southern Methodist University, and his black belt in American Kenpo. He is privileged to sit on the board of directors for two non-profit organizations: Kids at Hope and Your Heart, Our Hands.Joel strives every day to be the consummate catalyst for generating actions that accelerate positive results in his family, friends, and clients’ lives – he wants everyone to achieve their goals and dreams!He is humbled to be the dad of two beautiful daughters, Jaime and Sarah. And he is blessed beyond belief for the 34 years (and counting!) of marriage to his bride, Jackie.

Book preview

Miss You

© 2004, 2017

Joel S. Levinson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by information storage retrieval system, without prior permission of the author. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [e-mail]

Dedicated to Mom with love. I miss you.

Mom with my daughters in May 2002

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1: Can You Imagine

Chapter 2: Mom’s Story

Chapter 3: Only 365 days

Chapter 4: We all have our share of troubles

Chapter 5: Time to make do

Chapter 6: Crystal clear thinking

Chapter 7: The gifts

Chapter 8: Leave a legacy

About the author

Chapter 1: Can You Imagine

Can you imagine if you died and no one cried? You never touched anyone with your wisdom. All of your experiences left this earth with you. Can you imagine that your friends’ last memory of you is your funeral? I cannot. We all have something to share that has made our life special. No matter when we leave this earth, we all have a right to leave our legacy in place. As a son, I had these thoughts running around my head after my Mother’s passing two short years ago when she was sixty-six. What was her legacy besides her children and grandchildren? By what would she be remembered? I had my personal memories, though I knew that there was more to discover and share.

I wrote the following account of her last days as a way to help me learn from this significant event. I thought it would help release some of the anger, pain, guilt, and frustration that had built up during this time. I had no idea that it would start me on my way to learning even more about my Mom and her life and