A Special Tribute

Back in September of 2004, I lost a very special friend. Her name is Karen, and she was probably one of the kindest, most loving people I have even known. She was the kind of person who would go out of her way to cheer you up. When I met her, she was working as a social worker for CIGNA Behavioral Health. We worked together for several years and became very good friends. Even after I moved to Seattle we remained close, and when I came home to visit she took me to see the Dave Matthews Band as a belated birthday gift...this is on the day after her honeymoon, mind you! Her husband, Rabbi Jeffrey Leynor, was truly the love of her life. They got married in 2001, and she passed away in 2004. They had a very special three years together, and I learned a lot about what real love is like through them.

The Dallas Morning News did an interview with Jeffrey just this week. It's a neat story, so if you have time, please visit http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/fea/healthyliving2/stories/DN-NH_leynor_0321liv.ART.State.Edition1.3e5ff38.html to read the story.

One other really cool thing...her synagogue now has an annual Karen Leynor Mitzvah Day. It's a day where the entire congregation goes into the community do to good deeds, like volunteer work in nursing homes, cleaning parks, etc. If you have time on Sunday, the Second Annual Karen Leynor Mitzvah Day, I would ask you to do something good for someone else. Whether it's as simple as hugging someone you love or going out to do something in your community, remember that what we do goes far beyond what we can imagine. The things we do in the name of kindness are the things that people will remember about us. I just hope when my life is over that people see me as half the person that Karen was. She was an amazing woman who brought love and happiness into every life she touched.

I miss her a lot.