GRANDPA HARVEY’S SPEECH (a rerun)

Time passes swiftly for grandmas and grandpas, and we often wonder how did the years go by so quickly. So, it seems like only yesterday that we were at your Bris, and you were just 8 days old at the circumcision and naming ceremony. Michael, you are very special and dear to us; a kind, gentle, caring young man, a top student who is always there to help others. You are a dedicated son to your parents and a loving brother to your sweet sister Rachelle.

I know that you are going to be a superstar among our family members and be loved by all. Today, as you pass from boyhood to manhood, and we celebrate this milestone, Grammy and I see you as our torchbearer who will carry our genes and the Tobkes family name into the future and make us very proud. And we will all remember that we were there for you at your Bar Mitzvah.

Michael, here’s a little secret about my grandmother, that I would like to share with you; she lived to her mid nineties simply by looking forward to being able to attend upcoming family events. She was always wishing, wishing, wishing. “Oh! How I wish I could be at so and so’s graduation,” or “Oh how I wish I could be at so and so’s wedding,” and do you know what? She always managed to be there.

So thinking the way my Bubba did, I can tell you that Grammy and I look forward to being there for your High School and College graduations, cheering your steps up the ladder of success because we all love you and wish you the best.